Altoshipping! Part 2
by coolbluelatios
Summary: This is the continuation of "Altoshipping!" by Pokefan95 consisting of 11 chapters. Due to their hectic scheduling, pokefan95 decided to discontinue. After receiving permission and approval I have decided to finish the story on their behalf. The first 11 chapters of this story can be found at: /s/6466333/11/Altoshipping
1. Chapter 1: Latios' Warning

**Latios' Warning**

The training with Lando was particularly grueling as expected from a former Champion and a Dragon Master. Not only did Lando put Latias and her beloved Ash through some intensive stamina building exercises which were designed to improve both the trainer's and his Pokémon's concentration during a battle, he also went on a rather long lecture about the nature and specialty of Dragon type Pokémon. Needless to say by the time both Latias and Ash returned to their rooms at the Pokémon Center, they were exhausted to the point of collapse. Just as Ash entered the bathroom for a long shower in preparation to turn in for the night, Latias snuck in. Although Ash still did not notice, Latias had made it her habit to sneak into her beloved trainer's room whenever there was a chance to do so. As Latias sat down on Ash's bed, she undid her human disguise and sighed longingly at the closed bathroom door.

_If only my powers are not limited by obstacles_, thought Latias to herself.

Just as her imagination went into an overdrive about the possibilities she would have if her psionic power is not so limited, Latias recalled something from Lando's lecture.

_I wonder what exactly did he say?_ puzzled Latias,_ He said something about objects and surroundings…_ _and about how Dragon types can amplify power through focusing on the aura of their… Urgghh… Why did that old man talk so much? Maybe if he actually _talked _less, I would have remembered._

Feeling a little bit frustrated, Latias once again cast a longing look at the bathroom door. Concluding that putting Lando's lesson into practice would not hurt her interest, Latias closed her eyes and allowed her psychic power to ripple from her. At first, there was nothing but calm and silence of the night, but as Latias focused more, she suddenly noticed a bright glimmer from the window sill. Feeling curious, Latias reached out with her mind at the glimmer was surprised that the glimmer was none other than the Soul Dew.

_What is he doing here? _wondered Latias, _isn't he supposed to be with Bianca at all times?_

Shrugging off the issue as a simple oversight by her best friend Bianca, Latias turned her full attention on the Soul Dew. Even with her eyes still closed, Latias could she in her mind the mesmerizing depth of the Soul Dew; the constant swirling of light and shadow within that contained her brother's soul. For some reason, the Soul Dew appeared to be extra active with the swirling becoming more intense, resulting in the glimmer. Ever so curious, Latias decided for the first time in a few months, to dive deep into the Soul Dew with her mind. As she did, she was pleasantly surprised by the amount of energy stored within the Soul Dew. Her body felt warm and relaxed as the fatigue from earlier training was washed away completely. This was the first time which the Soul Dew acted in such manner, which in turn began to make Latias uneasy. Her feeling of uneasiness began to solidify as her swirling surroundings started to combine and take shape, as if…

Suddenly, a spike of pure mental power drove into her mind with the force of a rampaging Rhydon. Latias snapped open her eyes in pain and shock, but other than the dimly lit room and the sound of steady trickling of water from Ash's bathroom, Latias did not see anything or anyone that could be the source of the assault. As Latias desperately tried to reach out to Ash hoping he will notice the danger, knowing fully that it was a futile effort, the mental spike turned into a roaring presence similar to Flamethrower used by a thousand Magmars. Feeling her consciousness slipping away, Latias decided to lash out desperately with her own psychic power at her assailant. To her surprise, the attack subsided immediately. Instead, her mind now filled with senses of bewilderment, apprehension and anger that were not her own.

_Latias? _An echo-like voice filled the mind of Latias as if someone was calling to her from the depth of a deep well. _Latias! It is you! Where am I? Where are we?! This is not Altomare, did we fail? Are we captured again? Why is it so cold and dark? And is this… is this human taint I sense on you? By the Eons! What have they done to you, Latias?!_

As the initial shock wore off and the realization began to settle in, Latias' eyes began to fill with tears.

_Big brother Latios…_

_Yes, yes, I know, everything is going to alright now, Latias, _soothed Latios. _I promise I will get both of us out of here. But you will have to help me, Latias; I can't feel my body, so you will have to help me move until this paralysis wears off… And then…_

_But Latios, you're dead! _said Latias, _you are a Soul Dew now and all these situation is not what they look like._

_What?_

For the next few minutes Latias summarized as quickly as possible the events which took place since Latios' heroic sacrifice at Altomare. She also confessed her love and affairs with Ash and how she plan to follow Ash on his quest to become the Pokémon Master. When Latias had finished her narration, Latios was stunned for at least half a minute.

_What a terrible disaster! _exclaimed Latios, _putting aside the fact that you have shirked your duty as Guardian of Altomare, broke a taboo of human law and risk _MY _existence to boot, you decided to go on this… this… _idiotic _relationship with a human _kid?!_ I know you were always susceptible to moronic impulses, but this has just gone too far!_

At Latios' insult, Latias burst into a tirade.

_What do you know about us?! _Screamed Latias, throwing all her rage and frustration at the mental presence of her big brother. _We love each other, we understand each other, and we are special! I will not let anything or anybody come in between our relation, not even you Latios!_

Latios sighed, or at least created an effect of a sigh within Latias' mind.

_My foolish and naive little sister, _chided Latios. _Let us suppose all the thing which you had said are all true and will maintain as the truth. What happens then? Both of you will mature mentally and physically_. _You, Latias, are blessed with longevity of our species, while Ash will age rapidly. Sooner or later he will start to desire a mate to carry on his legacy. Before long Ash will have a family of his own and Latias, you will forever stay in the shadows, living in torment day after day!_

_No, you are wrong, Latios! _countered Latias, _Our love is strong; we will find ways to overcome!_

_And I will not stand by and watch my own sister walk down a path of self-torment and destruction!_

_Like I had said before, Latios, I will not allow anything or anyone to come in between Ash and I… And I will do anything to make that happen…even if it means destroying you myself, big brother, growled Latias, ruffling her feathers in anticipation of a fight. _

_And so, my little sister thinks she is all grown up now, _Latio's voice narrowed dangerously, _for years I've tolerated your foolishness, but now my patience wears thin. And it is truly unwise to test the patience of the Azure Guardian of Altomare!_

With that a blast of energy exploded forth from the Soul Dew and engulfed Latias, but unlike the attack before, this time Latias felt like she was being drowned in great ocean depths. The presence of Latios turned cold and menacing, his fury barely in check, crashed down on Latias' mind like the tidal wave which threatened Altomare five months ago. Without realizing, Latias was shaking in fear, for she had not seen her brother so angry since the day she accidentally broke his Blissey doll back when they were still hatchlings. Desperately looking in the direction of the room's bathroom, Latias hoped her trainer would notice her danger and come to her rescue, but Ash was blissfully oblivious in his shower. Seeing there were no other choice left, Latias decided to apologize.

_I am sorry Latios, _said Latias meekly, _I was wrong to be selfish and not listening to your counseling._

The energy bursting forth from the Soul Dew abated somewhat.

_Good, at least I see not all of your senses had abandoned you._

_But I am still not going to give up on Ash_, added Latias.

_Well, unfortunately for you, my dear little sister, you are now stuck with my voice in your head. And this voice will not stop talking until you truly have come to your senses_, pronounced Latios with all finality of a judge.

Latias thought about what her brother had said for a brief moment. Suddenly, her face brightened and donned a mischievous grin.

_Hey say, Latios, from my journey with Ash, I learned a great way to stop any Pokémon or human from talking. Do you know what that is?_

_Hmm? And what will that be?_ asked Latios suspiciously.

Now with a naughty gleam in her eyes, Latias hopped off Ash's bed and floated to her brother's Soul Dew in a slow and deliberate pace. As Latias got closer, a wave of realization hit Latios, from which he began to stammer nervously.

_W-w-w-wait, L-latias… surely you don't mean…_

Latias stopped at the window sill and slowly extended her neck forward, which caused Latios to enter a full blown panic.

_Noooo! S-s-s-stay away! You can't… Don't do this! L-l-l-latias, are you listening to me?! P-please, we're- Hmmeergghhhurrgmmpf!_

Latio's protest was cut short as Latias put the entire Soul Dew in her mouth.

_There!_ proclaimed Latias triumphantly, _no matter what you say, our love will triumph in the end!_

"That's great Latias! But who are you talking to?" asked an amused voice her back.

Surprised by the sudden appearance of Ash, Latias swallowed hard without thinking, completely forgetting the fact that she had her brother's Soul Dew still in her mouth. She quickly turned around to see Ash, his hair still damp from the shower, standing near the now open bathroom doorway with the lights from the bathroom haloing him in contrast to the still dimly lit bedroom. Latias could not help but blush and feel a pang of disappointment to see her beloved Ash had already changed into his pajamas.

"_Err… Nobody! I was simply celebrating by myself under this beautiful night about how lucky we are," _said Latias nervously. With that she let out a cute little burp and blushed deeply.

"I feel the same way, Jewel, but tell me, why are you in my room in the first place?" asked Ash. Totally ignoring his question, Latias' eyes began to well up with emotions.

"_You called me 'Jewel'," _gasped Latias "_I am so happy to hear that!"_

"Well, yes, of course… that is your name now. Besides I call you 'Jewel' because you are the Jewel of my Heart from now until forever after… But you still did not answer my ques-"

Ash's words were cut short as Latias flew into him and kissed him passionately. The time seemed to stop for the two lovers as they shared their passion without the need of words. All too soon, the lovers were interrupted by a knock on the door. Latias glared at the door to see who was the insolent being dared to interrupt her moment with Ash. Seeing it was her best friend Bianca when the door opened, she decided to change her expression to a less hostile one.

"Good evening, Ash… and oh, hi, Latias!" greeted Bianca brightly, oblivious about her intrusion. "Sorry to disturb you such late at night, Ash, but I can't seem to find the Soul Dew anywhere. I don't have a feeling the Soul Dew was stolen or anything, as I can vaguely feel its presence nearby, but for the love of all Pokémon I can't seem to find it!"

At the mentioning of the Soul Dew, the complexion on Latias paled. She hurriedly tried to push Bianca back out the door as she desperately came up with some excuses.

"_Oh come on, you worry too much Bianca,"_ said Latias nervously, "_I am sure the Soul Dew will be fine, in fact, it will turn up sometime tomorrow… probably… I think…"_ As both Ash and Bianca cast curious looks at Latias as to ask her what she meant, Latias quickly added,

"_You know, elder brothers… they disappear without saying anything and come back without telling you anything? That is what they do, right?" _At this point, Latias managed to dislodge Bianca from Ash's room. "_Look, it's getting late and we have a long day of training tomorrow, so Ash, you better get some rest! Good night!"_ With that, Latias closed the door behind her with her psychic power while still pushing Bianca away from the room with determination.

"Well, kissing you passionately in one moment and can't wait to get away from you on the next, Pokémon or human, girls are sure tough to understand," sighed Ash as he lay down on his bed to sleep.

_._


	2. Chapter 2: Draco Meteor

**Draco Meteor**

The next morning was a beautiful sunny day with occasional breeze rustling the treetops. Our hero, Ash Ketchum, was admiring himself in front of a mirror while getting ready to start his second day of training with Lando. Feeling excited as ever, Ash pulled on his hat and struck his battle pose.

"Alright! At this rate, I will be the Pokémon Master in no time!"

Rushing out of his room and down the stairs, Ash saw he was the last person among his friends to arrive as all of them had already started with their day: Misty was tickling Pikachu under his chin while grooming her water Pokémon, Latias in her human form was happily trying out Brock's latest invention of berry smoothie with Brock eagerly awaiting her review, and finally Bianca seemed to be preoccupied with something but since she had her back to Ash, it was impossible for Ash to figure out what she was busy with.

"Morning, guys," greeted Ash eagerly.

"Morning, Ash," chimed his friends in perfect unison, "Pi, pika, pi!" added Pikachu.

"_Ash, you're late! I had been waiting for you," _scolded Latias, rushing forward to grab Ash's arm, "_Don't ever make me wait that long again!"_

"Ok, ok, take it easy Jewel, why such a rush?" laughed Ash as he was dragged and pushed into an empty seat near a table by Latias.

"_Look, I made these for you," _said Latias as she seemed to produce a plate of pancakes out of nowhere.

"Wow, I didn't know you cook, Latias," said Brock clearly impressed by Latias' skill, "Maybe now I don't have to worry about cooking for the group every day; we should start switching off!"

"Yeah, that looks great," exclaimed Misty, "Go on, Ash, and try it!"

Latias blushed at her companions' compliments. Taking care to only send her telepathy to Ash, she whispered shyly into her beloved's mind.

"_I am practicing for… you know… when we finally get to live together… by ourselves… in the future…" _With each pause Latias' face grew redder and redder until it was matching the color of her scarlet hair. Upon hearing Latias, Ash also blushed deeply; a sight which greatly warmed Latias' heart.

"Well, in that case, thanks for the food, Jewel," said Ash as he grabbed his knife and fork, "Time to dig in!"

At the mention of eating Latias' cooking, Bianca suddenly looked up sharply from the object on her laps which she had been examining all these time.

"Ash, I don't think you should-" she started to say but immediately stopped as she noticed the scalding glare Latias was giving her. Ash transferred a large portion of Latias' pancake into his mouth and regretted the action right away. The pancake, of all things in the world, tasted like an overzealous Toxic attack from an angry Muk. As Ash forced the offending food down his throat, he could feel the tingling of paralysis settling in all over his body.

"_What do you think, Ash?" _asked Latias innocently, unaware of the suffering of her Ash.

"I...it's delicious…" Ash managed to say feebly before toppling off his chair, his face purple.

Every one of his friends rushed forward to check on him, except for Bianca who let out a knowing sigh and held her hand to her forehead.

"Looks like we have a case of mild paralysis," said Brock as he poked Ash gingerly with his finger.

"Pika, pi…" said Pikachu, shaking his head in dismay.

"Maybe I should call Nurse Joy," said Misty worriedly

"No, it's alright guys, I am fine," groaned Ash, "I was just caught off guard by the exotic taste, that's all."

Hearing the compliment from Ash, Latias' expression brightened.

"_This is the first time ever anyone has liked my cooking," _gushed Latias giving Ash a peck on his cheek, "even_ Latios claimed he would rather be digested alive by a Victreebel than eating anymore of my cooking." _ Hearing her comment, Ash and his friends laughed nervously. Suddenly noticing the time on the clock, Ash quickly leaped to his feet.

"Oh no, I am going to be late meeting with Lando! I promised to meet with him soon."

"Wow, Ash, you sure got over your paralysis pretty quick. Maybe all those Thunderbolts by Pikachu really had their uses after all," teased Misty.

"Pi, Pikachu!" said Pikachu happily holding out two of his fingers in a victory sign.

"Hey guys, I have an idea," said Ash ignoring Misty's comment about his resilience, "why don't you all come along and watch me train? That way you can help Jewel and I to improve ourselves."

"Sure, I have nothing planned for today," replied Brock.

"Why not? It's not every day we get a chance to watch a former Pokémon champion in action," added Misty.

"Sorry, I am going to pass on that offer, Ash," apologized Bianca, "this is about the Soul Dew. I was worried about its disappearance last night, but I managed to find it again this morning while cleaning Latias' room. That was when I noticed something was wrong." Bianca held out the object which she was studying on her laps for everyone to see.

"You see, unlike before the Soul Dew is clouded and lost its usual glow. This means the soul of Latios had experienced a traumatic event recently. I want to stay with Latios and find out the reason, just in case it might pose as a threat to us." When Bianca had finished, Latias adopted a guilty look, although no one had noticed.

"Hey, I can stay and help out if you like," offered Brock, "I have a few experience treating Pokémon with trauma before."

"No, it's alright, Brock, you go ahead with Ash," said Bianca, "besides Latios is not your regular Pokémon anymore. Since I am the one with the most knowledge about a Soul Dew in this group, I feel I should be the one handling this problem."

"Well, in that case, good luck, see you when I get back, Bianca," called Ash as he rushed headlong into mid-morning air of Silver Town with Pikachu following closely behind. Both Brock and Misty wished Bianca their luck and pursued Ash out of the Pokémon Center.

Meeting with Lando was no easy task, as Ash and his friends had to navigate the treacherous terrain of Mt. Silver in order to reach an open plateau half way up the Mt. Silver where Ash's training was to take place. By the time Ash and his companions had reached the plateau, it was already mid-day and the sun was beating intensely down on the group. Exhausted but exhilarated, Ash began to look around for Lando.

"Ah, there you are Ash, I am glad you've made it," greeted an energetic voice somewhere above. When Ash looked up, he saw Lando perched on a rock ledge on a nearby mountainside, waving down at him. When Ash responded in kind, Lando jumped off the ledge and approached Ash to shake his hand.

"Are you ready to begin the training, kiddo?"

"You bet I am!" responded Ash, with Latias nodding enthusiastically by his side, undoing her human disguise.

"Very well, we shall begin right away," nodded Lando, "now; remember from yesterday about the theories and tactics regarding the usage of a Dragon Pokémon. From today on, we are going to review and put what you've learned into practical use, in the form of…" Lando removed a pokeball from his belt, "…a Pokémon battle."

"Cool, which means by beating you here, I will be challenging the Elite Four in no time!" exclaimed Ash as he got into his battle pose.

"I admire your enthusiasm but you will find defeating me will not be so easy," chuckled Lando, throwing his pokeball casually into the air and from the pokeball, burst forth a Dragonite. Describing this Dragonite simply as beautiful or impressive was a massive understatement, as this creature's scale shone with majestic aura; the body was well-toned and carried many evidences of past battles. Even the creature's expression was brimming with confidence. Although Latias herself was a legendary Pokémon, even she felt intimated by Dragonite's presence. Likewise, Ash and his friend were also awestruck by the extraordinary Pokémon.

"Laaaa…" greeted Latias shyly. Instead of responding in kind, the Dragonite gave Latias a haughty look.

(My, my, so it is babysitting little children this time, huh? You sure had grown old, Lando.)

"_Hey!" _protested Latias with her direct telepathy to Dragonite's mind.

"This Dragonite had been my companion since she was a Dratini," explained Lando, "We had been through thick and thin together, therefore she is now the strongest of my team. Only when you are able to defeat her with Latias will I acknowledge your eligibility to challenge the Elite Four."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Latias use Solar Beam!" shouted Ash. Due to the intense midday sun shining on the training ground, Latias was able to launch her attack without any prior preparation. The concentrated beam of sunlight raced towards the unprepared Dragonite and scored a direct hit. Ash and Latias celebrated their success, but the celebration was short-lived. As the dust cleared around Dragonite, Ash saw the Dragon Pokémon was simply dusting her scales off with an annoyed expression on her face.

(Oh look what you've done! Good griefs, children these days have no manners at all.)

"Don't worry, we'll get her this time, Latias use Surf!" commanded Ash. Latias' body inflated comically for an instant and expelled a huge torrent of water which rushed aggressively at Dragonite.

"You are too naive, Ash. Dragonite, show them how a real dragon Pokémon attacks!" said Lando, nodding towards his Dragonite. Dragonite waited until the torrent of water was almost upon her then counterattacked with her own powerful Hyper Beam. The sheer destructive power of the Hyper Beam instantly evaporated the Surf attack and continued towards Latias at an alarming speed.

"Dodge it, Latias!" yelled Ash as Latias barely flew out of the way before the Hyper Beam reduced the nearby mountaintop to nothing but dust and rubbles with a thunderous explosion. Latias searched the plateau frantically for a chance to counterattack, but Dragonite was nowhere to be seen.

(Over here)

Latias scarcely had time to turn around before the mighty tail of Dragonite slammed into her mid-section. Latias let out an involuntary gasp as all the air was knocked out of her and her surroundings seemed to spin out of control. Gritting her teeth, Latias shook away the pain and began focus her psychic attack into a sphere.

(As if I will allow you to do that!)

This time Dragonite grabbed Latias by her waist and threw her over the edge of plateau. Before Latias could start falling, however, Dragonite displayed her impressive speed and dexterity by slamming into Latias with one Aerial Ace after another.

"Latias!" yelled Ash as he began to rush forward to help Latias.

"Stand your ground, Ash!" commanded Lando harshly, "I had told you before, a Pokémon battle is not a simple game where a trainer stands in one spot to shout meaningless orders at his Pokémon! No, a true battle is when the trainer fights _with_ his Pokémon. A trainer is his partner's guide, tactician and leader," Lando pointed at the battling Dragonite and Latias. "Latias is in trouble, Ash. It is your duty to find a way to guide her out of this situation!"

Just then, Dragonite had finished her barrage of Aerial Ace and punched Latias back onto the ground of the plateau. The impact of Latias landing had created a crater between Ash and Lando.

"Latias, nooo!" yelled Ash once again stepping forward to check on his injured lover.

"Keep calm, kiddo," instructed Lando sternly, "Don't be so eager to display your emotion! Keep your eyes on my Dragonite at all times! What you are doing now will only betray your weakness, which is being used against you by your opponent!" Standing at the edge of the crater, Lando's Dragonite looked down on her opponent with utter disdain.

(Your trainer is quite useless, isn't he? How are you stuck with that wimp in the first place? For a legendary Pokémon, you sure lack pride!)

"_Don't ever talk about Ash in that tone," _coughed Latias, "_You can insult me all you want, but I will not forgive anyone badmouthing Ash!"_ With that, Latias struggled to her feet, wobbling slightly on the spot. "_And I do not need Ash to defeat you, I will beat you on my own, so I can claim his devoted praise and love!"_ When Latias had finished saying her piece, Dragonite's facial expression turned into a mask of cold fury.

(You know what I hate most?) Dragonite clenched her claws into a fist. (It's insolent brats like you!)

At which point Dragonite turned her gaze at Lando as if to seek his permission, a gesture which Lando replied with an approving nod. Having received her permission, Dragonite flew into the air above the plateau and spread out her wings and arms. For a few tensed moments nothing happened, but soon enough, the sky began to darken, the ground began to tremble and those who were present that the plateau could feel the charge of energy in the air.

"Hey, what is going on?" asked Misty in alarm as she leaped to her feet from where she was watching her friend's training progress.

"It can't be… I don't believe it…" said Brock breathlessly, "But it must be! Ash, watch out! That Dragonite is using Draco Meteor!" he called to Ash urgently.

Before Ash could ask Brock about Draco Meteor, a series of falling rocks appeared from the darken sky, each trailing a blazing tail. Latias struggled to crawl out of the crater where she was now trapped, but because of her fatigue and damage suffered, her effort was in vain. One by one the falling meteors crash down around Latias with deafening booms, effectively cutting off all possible ways of escape. As the last flaming meteor sped towards the center of the crater, Latias screwed her eyes shut and prepared herself for the inevitable impact. But the impact never came. As Latias timidly opened one of her eyes, she saw Lando's Dragonite was holding a smoking meteorite in her left claw, at the same time casting an ominous shadow into the crater as the sky cleared. For the first time in her life, Latias began to tremble uncontrollably in fear as Dragonite's triumphant expression carried the weight of doom.

(And this, little girl… is the difference of our power!)


	3. Chapter 3: The Guardian Returns

Author's Note: Greetings, Readers!

Thank you all for your interests and support for my new enterprise. As we enter the third chapter of Altoshipping! Part 2, I would like the audience to express their opinions on the story so far and what they would like to see in the future. For example, would you want to see more actions, battles and skill improvements from Ash and Latias or would you rather see more advances in their romance? Should there be side romances involving other characters or would you like to see more linear developments? Should there be more characters or less? Finally, should my chapters be longer or shorter? Of course, these are just a few examples of which one can provide their feedbacks. Feel free to provide your valuable opinions via your reviews.

Also feel free to leave your reviews in other languages if English is not your primary language. With that said, on to Chapter 3 we go!

**The Guardian Returns**

As Ash and Latias were facing difficulties in their training with Lando, Bianca was having problems of her own back at the Pokémon Center. Ever since Ash and his friend had departed to meet with Lando, Bianca had been sitting by herself in her room trying to figure out the sudden and unusual change to the Soul Dew. As she stared at the Soul Dew placed at the window sill, admiring the contrast of the gloominess of the Soul Dew against the pure light of the sun shining through the open window, she heaved a sigh of exhaustion. Due to the sensitive nature of Soul Dew, Bianca could not ask around the Pokémon Center to see if other trainers had seen the Soul Dew on the previous night, therefore she could not figure the nature behind the Soul Dew's disappearance. At this point Bianca was convinced that the disappearance was indeed related to the change in the Soul Dew.

"I guess I will just think on the issue while I paint," said Bianca to herself, "I always concentrate better when I am painting."

Setting up the easel and preparing all her necessary tools, Bianca sat down in front of the blank canvas and thought about the subject for her painting. Since she is trying to figure out the mystery of Soul Dew, Bianca decided to paint a portrait of her old friend while he was still alive. With a nod, she mixed the colors on her palette and began working. The paint, guided by Bianca's hand, flowed across the blank canvas without hesitation or doubt as it began to take the shape of the Azure Guardian. Having done similar portraits since she was a child, Bianca had no problem transferring the image in her mind to the canvas. She was able to recall every vivid detail of Latios as if he was standing in front of her: His feathers so smooth that they shone, his body, powerful and muscular, stood out in stark contrast against the soft line of Altomare horizon; his face was noble and wise as he looked off into the sunset, his eyes… his deep brown eyes were soft and caring when Latios turned around to look at her…

Without warning, Bianca felt a sudden rush of heat crept up her cheeks.

"Gah! What am I doing?!" she yelled to the empty room.

Dropping her brush and palette in a clatter, Bianca snatched the canvas off its easel and grabbed hold of an edge as to destroy the painting, but after a moment of hesitation, she replaced the canvas with tears streaming down her eyes.

"I am sorry… I am so sorry…" sobbed Bianca, "It's just… it's just I miss you so much, Latios…"

Wiping her tears away with a sniff, Bianca studied the result of her labor. The image of Latios was striking per her intension, but there was more. The Latios on the canvas looked so alive and real that Bianca half expected it to fly off the easel and out the window in a great rush of wind. As Bianca rubbed her right thumb fondly over Latios' face, voices of her childhood echoed to her from the distant past.

"Listen well now, Bianca," said the memory of Lorenzo gruffly, "the Soul Dew is not only an important treasure to Altomare, but it is also contains the soul of the Latios who brought his children to us. This, of course, you know about, don't you?"

"Yes, Grandpa," replied the young Bianca brightly, "You've told me the story a million times!" At her feet, the hatchlings of the Eon twins mewed at her for attention.

"Then let me tell you another secret about the Soul Dew," said Lorenzo, "And this one is the most important of them all."

"Oh, what is it?" clapped the young Bianca excitedly, "Tell me! Tell me!"

So Lorenzo told his granddaughter about the presence within the Soul Dew and how a person with pure mind and soul could establish a direct contact with the Latios inside the Soul Dew, and if deemed worthy, harness its awesome power. He also warned Bianca about the dangers of attempting such communication, as one single mistake or one single impure thought could send the soul of Latios into frenzy, thus causing great devastation to Altomare. Lorenzo made his granddaughter promise him that she will not attempt to communicate with the Soul Dew on her own without his explicit permission; a promise which she did not keep. Bianca recalled with great regret the day she snuck into the Secret Garden and tried to establish a direct contact with the Soul Dew. Due to her inexperience at the time, the presence within the Soul Dew panicked and its power went on a rampage, causing massive floods in the canals. Luckily, Lorenzo was able to intervene soon enough to calm the soul within the Soul Dew, but enough damage had been done. From that day on, Bianca swore she would not attempt such foolish act ever again.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Bianca found her oath being challenged as she once again studied the gloomy Soul Dew. Knowing the horror that might unleash should she fail, Bianca was very reluctant on what she was about to attempt; especially when there was no Lorenzo to come to her rescue this time. But seeing no other choice, Bianca steeled herself and placed both her hands on the Soul Dew and closed her eyes.

"_Latios, please hear my voice as I plead to you in times of urgency and peril,"_ prayed Bianca, reciting the ancient ceremonial phrase like Lorenzo had taught her.

Almost immediately, Bianca felt her consciousness pulled into the murky depth of the Soul Dew, resulting in an uncomfortable chill which coursed through her whole body.

"_It's dark… so… dark_" echoed an anguished voice inside Bianca's mind, "_Where am I? Why is it… so dark_?"

"_Latios?" _Bianca called out tentatively into her gloomy surroundings.

"_Please… let me go… I am sorry" _continued the voice, "_Please… I promise I will never say such things again… so… please… just let me out of here_."

"_Latios! What is going on?! Please talk to me!" _shouted Bianca in alarm, but the soul of Latios did not notice. Instead the echoing voice seemed to get more desperate.

"_No! Not that way! Not like this! S-s-s-stop! Sto- WAAAAAAAHHHHH!"_

With the last terrified yell, the interior of Soul Dew brightened in a flash of light, followed by a giant torrent of emotions, memories and other sensations which crashed over Bianca like a tidal wave, threatening to drown out her consciousness. Bianca fought to remain conscious as the torrent of mental energies continued to wash over her, but try as she might she could not fully detach herself from the wave as Bianca began to feel emotions and sensations that were foreign and unrelated to her. Eventually, the interior of the Soul Dew calmed and the echoing voice was replaced with heavy panting.

"_Is...is it over_?" asked Latios cautiously.

"_Latios? Are you feeling alright?" _shouted Bianca once again into the depth of the Soul Dew. This time, Latios seemed to notice.

"_Bianca_!" exclaimed Latios, "_Bianca, what are you doing in here? Don't you know it's dangerous for you to be here_?"

"_But I was worried about you; you disappeared last night without any warning and were acting strange up until just now_," said Bianca, her voice full of concern, "_Tell me what happened last night_."

"_Oh, so it wasn't just a dream…_"

"_What wasn't just a dream? Come on, Latios, you have to tell me what it was so I can help you_."

"_Well, I don't want to talk about it," said Latios defensively, but even as he said so, an image of close-up looks of Latias' face float across Bianca's mind._

"_Did something happen between you and Latias_?" asked Bianca curiously

"_No!" _snapped Latios angrily_, "Look, I don't want to talk about it, alright? And stay out of my memory!"_

"_Sorry…_"

A moment of awkward silence descended between the two of them. In an attempt to change the subject, Bianca asked Latios about how he had been for the past few months.

"_Terrible,_" grumbled Latios, "_thwarted the schemes of Team Rocket agents, saved the city from certain doom and what do I get? A little sister who proceeds to fall in love with a strange boy from far away land who, let me remind you, had __**minimal**__ contribution to the overall safeguard of Altomare. I was then kidnapped against my will to go on this ridiculous quest for her love, while leaving our beloved city wide-open for invasion and disaster_!" Latios took a deep breath as he paused in his tirade.

"_But Latias is experiencing true love for the first time of her life," said Bianca patiently, "you of all being should understand how that feel_."

An embarrassed silence resonated within the Soul Dew.

"_That sort of love will never work_," said Latios grudgingly

"_But that was not what you used to believe_," reminded Bianca gently, "_Try to think back Latios, to the time before the Crisis of Altomare, before Ash showed up at our Secret Garden… Just try to remember… of that day…_" This time it was Bianca who sank into an embarrassed silence. After a long pause, Latios spoke again.

"_Indeed I've forgotten much_," admitted Latios, "_ever since my… transcendence… I had forgotten the soothing rush of wind, the refreshing coolness of water, the lively bustling of my beloved city. I am even beginning to forget who I am and how I looked before I was Soul Dew_."

"_Well, I don't know I can help you with your other memories, but I can certainly help you with your last one_," said Bianca.

Gently taking of the canvas off its easel, Bianca presented her painting to the Soul Dew. Although the Soul Dew did not have any facial expressions, Bianca could tell Latios was stunned by the image.

"_I see_," said Latios slowly, "_after all these years you still managed to remember_."

"_Of course, I do_," said Bianca fondly, "_how can I forget? It was the fateful day when we-_"

"_Here, allow me to show you something_," interrupted Latios gently

Carefully separating his own presence from Bianca's mind, the Soul Dew began to pulse in soft, glowing light until with a sudden blinding burst of light the sphere of Soul Dew exploded into a cloud of silvery dust. Before Bianca could cry out in surprise, the cloud of silvery dust swirled around Bianca's painting and encircled it a few times, as if the Soul Dew was carefully examining the work. After encircling the painting, there was another blinding flash of light. As Bianca's eyes recovered from the flash, her breath and heart stopped with disbelief, as right in front of her very eyes, stood the Pokémon Latios. He was just as noble and striking as she had drawn him, but only this time the Latios was real.

"Unbelievable," Bianca managed to stammer, "How could this… does this mean…?"

"_No_," replied Latios, "_The Soul Dew is merely a corporeal form of my soul. With enough power and experience I can alter that form however I choose. And this form_," Latios ran his claws through his feathers, "_is how I will choose to exist from now on… just for you Bianca_."

Bianca flew into Latios. Hugging him tightly, she cried profusely onto his shoulders. For a moment Latios was lost as to how to proceed with his current situation. Looking around the room nervously as to find some clues to help him out, but finding none, Latios decided pat his old friend on her back hesitantly.

"It's so good to have to back again," said Bianca tearfully. Pulling back, Bianca wiped away her tears and smiled at Latios.

"Say, let's celebrate your return with a little event of our own?" asked Bianca

"_What do you have in mind_?"

Bianca sat down by the window sill and looked up at the clear blue sky, watching two Pidgey flirting with each other. She then turned around and asked Latios with a hopeful tone, if he could give her an aerial tour of Silver Town, like he had done for her many times when they were young. With a smile, Latios swept Bianca into his arms, causing her to let out a delighted giggle, and launched the two of them into crisp mountain air high above Silver Town.

"_And it will be my greatest honor to fly with you again…my lady…_"


	4. Chapter 4: Qualification for Love

**Qualification for Love**

Draco Meteor, a move considered to be the most powerful dragon-type move in the Pokémon world, was used against Latias during Ash's training with Lando. It was a move so powerful and so devastating that it was rumored even the Dragon Pokémon fear to learn it, let alone wield its awesome power. Drawing upon the life force of the user itself, the magnitude of Draco Meteor will differ from dragon to dragon, but Brock knew without a shred of doubt that Lando's Dragonite could had leveled the entire Mount Silver if she had the mind.

"Ash!" Brock called out to his friend, "You need to call Latias back, it's too dangerous to continue this training!"

"Wait, what's wrong, Brock?" responded Ash, "The battle is not over yet, I can still find a way to turn this around!"

Ignoring his younger friend's hot-headed attitude, Brock instead turned to Lando, who was watching the entire situation unfold before him in silence.

"I can't believe you did that," said Brock accusingly, "how can you allow such reckless decision? Even if you want to show Ash the challenge of defeating a former Champion, using Draco Meteor at a place like this is going way over board!"

"Wait, Brock," Misty said quickly, "I know it looked like an overly flashy move for training purposes, but there is no need to be rude, I am sure Lando had it all und-"

"No, you don't understand, Misty!" said Brock sharply while waving his arms about to cut off Misty. "If that Dragonite loses control or even gets too excited about winning the match, the entire mountain could have collapsed on us all!"

Hearing Brock's doubt about her ability, Lando's Dragonite spat on the ground.

(And this is why I hate children these days… no sense of respect at all, just who does he think he is referring to?!)

Lando listened to Brock's tirade about him and his Pokémon with a cool complexion. Finally, breaking his silence, Lando motioned for Ash and his group to join him.

"Come, let's take a break," said Lando, "It seems like there is a lot of explaining to be done. Dragonite, you stay with Latias to make sure she is unharmed and recovers properly from our sparring."

When the group had gathered around Lando, he sat down on a rock and looked at Ash attentively.

"Before I begin, remind me again why you chose to train with me, Ash" asked Lando

"I choose to train with you because you were the one who offered me the chance in the first place," replied Ash, surprised that the older man would ask such an obvious question, "And because you promised that you will get me a chance to defeat the Elite Four!"

"And why do want to defeat the Elite Four so badly?"

"So I can be the Pokémon Master of the world!" answered Ash proudly with Pikachu giving his cheer of encouragement.

With a sigh, Lando took out a pipe from the fold of his black cloak.

"Why don't you all have a seat and allow me to give you a brief history of the regions and the Elite Four" said Lando as his lit his pipe.

"Hey, I don't have time for boring history lessons, mister," protested Ash, "I need get back to the training so I-" Before he can finish his sentence, Ash was interrupted by Misty as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you listen to what Lando has to say? If he thinks it is important enough to take time away from your training to tell us, then it will surely benefit you." Turning to Lando, she said "Please excuse my friend, he tends to get impatient when there is Pokémon training involved"

Bowing his head in gratitude at Misty, Lando began his narration. He started with the history of Pokémon world before the establishment of the Regions, a time when conflicts and strife ruled the land. During this period of time, many wars broke out between the inhabitants of the land to gain control of resources and territories. It was also around this time the human inhabitants learned of the Pokemon's impressive power and began to harness them for war. Soon armies of both humans and Pokémon fought and died by the millions, leaving large swaths of land in ruins thus driving the remaining inhabitants into more hardships. Lando highlighted that the introduction of Pokémon to warfare had changed both the politics and the structure of the land. As clans of humans specializing in specific Pokémon types began to emerge, these talented fighters were able to carve out their own sphere of influence due to their expertise, and before long, these clans began to form alliances, which eventually leading to formation of kingdoms in the Pokémon world. Even with the formation of kingdoms, Lando explained that the warring did not stop, but in fact as these specially trained Pokémon and their human partners, who were referred to as Pokémon Trainers in later period, fought each other, the casualties became even more staggering than before. It was no surprise then, as the clans and kingdoms continued to fight each other, the population of the land dwindled to the point of extinction.

Realizing their dire situation, the great leaders of each kingdom decided to meet at present day Mount Silver and their gathering was soon named the First Silver Conference. During this First Silver Conference the leaders decided to abolish all Pokémon usage in warfare, instead any grievances between each kingdom were to be settled by five of their best Trainers in efforts to limit casualties. It was at this time, the young and charismatic leader from the Kingdom of Kanto proposed a radical idea. He proposed the abolishment of all borders between the kingdoms; instead the kingdoms were to be united in one single Pokémon world, which each former kingdom are to be treated as equals. He further proposed that all resources were to be pooled together to recover the land so that the world could recover from the devastation. Although the other leaders eventually gave in to his charisma, they still did not fully trust Kanto, thus they amended his plan with their own original plan.

"So as you can see," said Lando as he came to the conclusion of his narration, "as time progressed the meaning of Pokémon Trainers and Pokémon battles changed with the development of technologies and Pokeballs. And the five best trainers of each kingdom were later renamed as the Champion and Elite Four of each Region."

"Well, it was cool to know how the Elite Fours came to be," said Ash impatiently, "But I still don't see how this is related to me beating them"

Lando took a deep draw from his pipe and let out the smoke slowly.

"You still don't get it, do you?" said Lando exasperatedly, "The Elite Four is basically the military strength of a Region and the Champion is the captain of them all. They are charged to safeguard their region, thus each of them is trained with the ancient way of Pokémon battle."

Seeing the blank look on Ashes face, Brock decided to help Lando out.

"I heard of that before," said Brock, "it was said in the ancient days Pokémon and their Trainers stake their lives in battle. Both the Pokémon and the Trainer was considered fair game for targeting, therefore back in those days it was not unheard of that either the Pokémon or the Trainer would fight on even after their partner had perished." Brock shook his head sadly, "Of course, this was before the invention of Pokeballs which drastically reduced the lethality of Pokémon attacks and the general law which prohibited targeting of Trainers in an official battle."

"But even so," Lando added, "You will notice significant Pokémon autonomy from their Trainer and vice versa, not to mention experiences in battle tactics and analysis."

Ash sat in silence as his still limited intelligence tried to digest all the information given to him. Although he did not understand a lot of the details, there was one thing he did understand.

"So, this is why Dragonite was able to beat Latias so easily," said Ash with realization, "And the reason why you kept asking me to stand where I was… And… and the fact you didn't issue any command at all! YOU were trained in that form too!"

"And the Shellder finally bites his head," said Lando gratefully

"Hey, this means that if I defeat you here, the Elite Four will be a piece of cake!" exclaimed Ash, who seemed to be oblivious to Lando's subtle insult of his intelligence.

Lando suddenly turned very serious. Emptying his pipe and returning it into the folds of his cloak, he gazed at Ash with piercing intensity.

"First let's not forget I only promise to give you a chance to defeat the Elite Four, meaning there is the possibility that the League will refuse the request, despite of my statue. In case you don't understand, it means you might not be able to face off against the Elite Four in the first place, and frankly I won't bet on it too much for them to grant such unconventional request. "

"But you said-"began Ash in protest, but Lando raised his voice to overwrite Ash.

"More importantly," said Lando, hardening his gaze, "the Elite Four, should you get to face them, will be nothing like training with me right now. As I mentioned before, they are the military strength of the regions they represent, meaning if you challenge the Elite Four, it is synonym to challenging the Region itself. Furthermore, if you were to defeat any of them in an official tournament, you will be given the choice to replace the defeated member as a new member of Elite Four; therefore you will be given no quarters or mercy when fighting them."

Hearing Lando, Ash and his group looked somber as each of them sank deep into their own thoughts.

"Looks like the challenge might be a little bit much for Ash," said Misty and for once Ash did not argue.

"What worries me most is my nephew, Lance," sighed Lando, "even amongst his family he displayed affinities to Dragon Pokémon like no one has ever done before. I thought my daughter Claire was talented, but Lance, he is on whole other level; a true prodigy so to speak."

"Why, what makes him so special?" asked Ash

"Every since he was little, Lance was able to communicate with Dragon Pokémon in unique ways. It was as if he can directly sense their heart and mind, their fears, desires and dreams. And due to this special bond, he can control Dragon Pokémon to the degree that is impossible for other trainers to do."

"Regardless, I am going to battle and then beat him!" said Ash, tightening his hands into fists.

"Then let me ask you something," said Lando, suddenly changing the subject, "do you love Latias?"

The question had caught Ash completely off guard, causing a sudden flood of panic to grip him in his gut. Has the older trainer caught wind of his attraction to Latias? Did his friends find out and told him? Or was it just a trap for him to give up on Latias?

"Wh-what do you mean?" stammered Ash

"Hm? It's a rather straight forward question. Do you love Latias enough to let her go?"

"I will never give up Latias" exclaimed Ash at once, "she needs me and I need her, we will go to the very end together!"

"Sometimes you need to give up those you love in order to protect those you treasure," said Lando sagaciously. Seeing the blank expression on the young trainer's face, Lando smiled as he added, "You will understand when you realize what you truly love and treasure in this world."

Watching the sun setting low over the horizon, Lando got up from his rock.

"I think that is enough training for today, seeing Latias is not quite ready to take on my Dragonite yet, it is meaningless to continue further. We will pick up where we left off three days from now." With that, Lando walked off to collect his Dragonite.

Meanwhile Ash and his company were being educated in the history of the Elite Four, Dragonite was treating a cut on Latias' arm with berry extracts. After a period of silence, she looked into Latias' eyes earnestly.

(Why did you do it?)

"_What do you mean?_" asked Latias

(Why would a Legendary like you choose to follow such inexperienced trainer?)

_Because I love him_, Latias wanted to say, but she kept silent. Dragonite pressed her for an answer.

(Well?)

"_Because I wanted to help him achieve his dream and I want to be by his side when he does achieve it," _said Latias finally. The two Pokémon once again fell into another long period of silence as Dragonite began massage a patch of bruise on Latias' shoulder. Then all of a sudden,

(Do you love him?)

Latias let out a startled squeak.

"_Wh-what… wait…How…How you knew?" _stammered Latias.

Dragonite giggled as she playfully tickled Latias behind her ears.

(Oh come now, girl! It's written all over your face! Every time your trainer's name is mentioned your expression will soften with compassion. Every time you speak of him, your voice will fill with longing. Do you really think I won't notice?)

Seeing the horrified expression on Latias' face, Dragonite patted the Legendary Pokémon's back reassuringly.

(Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Besides, it's not uncommon for Pokémon of your age to develop such feelings)

Turning serious again, Dragonite once again asked if Latias loved Ash and this time Latias answered truthfully. She confessed to Dragonite all her feelings she had for Ash since she first saw him during the Tour de Altomare competition and all her conflicting emotions up to her present; although she left out her conversation with her brother's Soul Dew for secrecy reason. After listening to Latias' narration, Dragonite resumed rubbing Latias' shoulder.

(Do you love him enough that you will be able to let him go?)

"_I don't understand what you mean by that,"_ replied Latias

(It means when a time comes, you by yourselves are powerless, will you be able to step aside for others to take your place?)

"_No!" _exclaimed Latias, "_Ash is mine! I will not have it another way!"_

(And that is what I would call 'obsession' and that does not qualify as 'love')

"_What difference does it make?!" _demanded Latias as she turned around to glare at Dragonite.

(It means with that childish possessive mentality of yours, your Ash will never be able to achieve his dream.)

"_I don't care what you say," _said Latias coldly while slapping away Dragonite's arm, "_I will help Ash achieve his dream, I will do it by myself and I will prove it by defeating you first!_"

With that, Latias flew off away from Dragonite. Seeing Lando had detached himself from his group, Dragonite got up and walked towards her trainer to meet up with him.

(Well, little girl, let's hope you realize your mistake before it is too late.)

Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash and his friends were immensely surprised as they were greeted by Bianca and Latios as they returned from Mount Silver. The appearance of Latios was very emotional for the group, especially for his sister, Latias, who couldn't do anything but letting her tears flow from her eyes while she was frozen on a spot. Finally realizing her brother was indeed real, she flew into him and wailed out her joy, grief, anguish and relief onto Latios' wings. The group got themselves a private room to celebrate Latios' return, during which Bianca filled in Ash and his friends on her own adventure with Latios. The celebration went on late into the night, but soon the human trainers retired to their own rooms to rest, leaving the Eon Twins by themselves in the private room. Stretching himself out comfortably on a couch, Latios noticed the clouded expression on his sister.

"_Something on your mind?" _asked Latios. When Latias did not answer, Latios grinned and playfully threw a leftover apple at his sister with psychic.

"_Don't worry, I will cook for the morning that way the Officer Jenny of this town will not have to investigate for a Toxic outbreak." _

"_It's not that,"_ sighed Latias, tears glistening in her eyes

"_Well then what is it?"_

With another heavy sigh, Latias told the story of her training result, Ash's lesson with Lando and finally her own conversation with Lando's Dragonite. After listening to Latias' story, Latios closed his eyes and thought about what to say next.

"_I think those are some wise advice," _he said finally.

"_I can't believe you are agreeing with her!"_

"_Well, her advice does make a lot of sense if you think about it carefully, Latias," _said Latios, "_As I said before, this type of relationship is highly unlikely to succeed. Even those in histories are very rare and few in between, not to mention majority of them ended unhappily."_

"_Very rare," _replied Latias, "_ but not non-existent!"_

Unable to believe he was being dragged into the same argument again, Latios sighed heavily.

" '_Those whose memories fade seek to carve them in their hearts," _quoted Latios, " 'all dreams are but another reality. Never forget…'"

"_That's from the _Tablet of Eon_ in the Great Library," _said Latias, "_But what does that have to do with this?"_

" _Those whose memories fade seek to carve them in their hearts: You seek answers from bygone past; to hold on to a slight hope that your dream might be true. All dreams are but another reality. Never forget…: A reminder that your dream is just a dream, it will not be in __**this**__ reality."_ Explained Latios

Unable to believe her own brother could be so unsupportive and insensitive to her , Latias burst into tears of rage.

"_What do you know about love?!" _screamed Latias as she stormed towards the door, "_You never cared about me! You never cared about anyone! You were the high and mighty Azure Guardian whose mind was only filled with his duty and obligation to the city!"_

Indignant to Latias' wild accusation, Latios bolted up from his comfortable position on the couch.

"_How dare you make such unfounded accusation, you ungrateful spawn of an Arbok!" _roared Latios, "_I am concerned about you, and I will not stand by to watch you walk down this self-destructive path!"_

"_Well, go haunt someone else with your concern," _yelled Latias, her voice reaching the point of hysteria now, "_the dead will not dictate how the living should live and let me remind you, Latios… YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD!"_

With a final exclamation of rage, Latias wrenched open the door and slammed it behind her with so much force that the door threaten to shake off its hinges. Trembling with barely contained rage, Latios found it was hard for him to speak. Seizing the couch he was relaxing in, Latios flung it at the door with all the strength he could muster.

"Well… You were… you were… YOU WERE ADOPTED!" screamed Latios on top of his lungs.


	5. Chapter 5: Of Fangs and Pride

**Of Fangs and Pride**

For the next three days the atmosphere over Ash and his companions ws gloomy at best. After his crushing defeat at the hands of Lando, Ash fell into his routine depressed mode. The relation between the Eon Twins was no better. Latios who had been avoiding his sister since the night of their argument was mostly hanging out by himself and accompanying Bianca on her frequent trips to Silver Town for painting supplies. While having witness the twins' arguments in the past, Bianca knew the best way to resolve the situation was to let the hostility blow over by itself, although this time even Bianca had doubts on that matter. Her attempts to mediate reconciliation between Latias and Latios were met with deaf ears, as each of the Eon Twins firmly believed they were in the right. Bianca was worried that if the situation continued there would be an irrevocable schism between Latias and Latios, to which she made a mental note that eventually she might have to talk to Ash about his relationship with Latias. But for now, Bianca decided to observe the situation further. As for Latias, she decided to train on her own to hone her skills and cultivate her independence from Ash during battle. Seeking help from Brock, Misty, their Pokémon, along with Ash's, Latias sparred with every one of them while Ash was isolating himself in his room at the Pokémon Center.

Even though Latias trained with multiple opponents at the same time, none of the Pokémon in Ash's traveling party, not even his Pikachu, was able to provide enough challenge for Latias. Although disappointed with her lack of improvement in terms of skills, Latias felt she had gain more battle experience and tactics which she felt confident that they will work against her next training session with Dragonite. When the day to meet Lando had arrived, Ash, Brock and Misty hiked up Mount Silver in silence as each of them were deep within their own thoughts in regards to the upcoming rematch between Ash and Lando. Before departing Ash extended an invitation to Bianca and Latios to watch his training, but Latios flatly refused the offer and Bianca decided to stay behind to keep Latios company. When Ash and his group arrived at the training ground, Lando and his Dragonite were already there meditating. After a quick scan of the area, Ash noticed that the craters from previous training were filled in.

"So you are here," said Lando simply, "Let's begin"

Without warning Latias launched a psychic sphere at Dragonite, giving no chance for Ash, Lando or anyone to react. Dragonite, who was still in her meditating pose, had her eyes closed and for a moment it looked as if Latias' attack would connect, but at the last second Dragonite swatted away the attack with a quick flick of her arm.

(How naive) said Dragonite calmly

The only thing Latias noticed the next second was Dragonite snapped opened her eyes and delivered a powerful arm thrust which caused Latias to reel backwards.

(I see you still have not learned your lesson)

As Ash and Lando scrambled to their respective battling positions, Brock and Misty stood rooted to their spots, for even with their past experiences at Gym Leaders, they had not witness any attack so impressive.

"Extremespeed…" breathed Brock, "And one of a very advanced level…"

"Even with my Gym experience, my eyes only saw the end of the attack," commented Misty, "How can such bulky Pokémon move at such high speed?"

Having recovered from Dragonite's attack, Latias glared at her opponent with fury and hatred.

"_We shall see about that!"_ spat Latias as she manipulated the light around her to turn invisible.

Latias' maneuver had caught both Dragonite and her trainer off guard, but not for long.

"Dragonite! Above you, two o'clock position!" commanded Lando

A beam of Solar Beam descended from the sky and headed straight towards Dragonite's blind spot. But with the help from Lando, Dragonite was able to parry the attack with her Dragon Claw without looking.

(I told you, it's not going to work!)

But Latias was not done. Taking advantage of the abundant sunlight on the plateau, Latias had launched a second Solar Beam immediately after her first, creating an illusion of a single Solar Beam attack.

(What the…) was all Dragonite could manage before the second beam hit with a tremendous explosion.

"Alright! A direct hit!" cheered Ash, "That would wipe off their confidence, won't it, Latias?"

As dust, debris and smoke from the Solar Beam settled, Dragonite rubbed at the spot where the attack connected. Scanning around the battlefield, she found no sign of Latias, for Latias already hid herself via her special ability while everyone was distracted by the explosion.

(Take one actually hurt, damn it,) said Dragonite, (Quite an interesting move you have there, but you know what, little girl?) Dragonite bared her fangs, (Play time is over!)

With that Dragonite launched a powerful kick at what seemed to be empty air. With a scream of pain, Latias was forced out of her camouflage and crashed into a nearby rock with enough force to shatter it.

"Latias!" yelled Ash out of concern, turning back to Dragonite he growled, "How… How did you know?"

Dragonite simply pointed at the ground.

"The shadow," explained Lando, "Although Latias is able to hide her form, but she can't her shadow, especially on this open ground."

Ash's heart sank with dismay. Latias' ability to turn herself invisible was his best secret move and the former Champion and his Pokémon was able to dismantle his best strategy in just few seconds.

Dragonite stood over Latias as she struggled to get up.

(Give it up, little girl,) warned Dragonite, (Even the greatest warrior needs to know when to retreat. Give up now; there is no shame to it)

Latias spat on Dragonite's face.

"_Never!"_

Dragonite wiped away the spittle, her face frozen in cold fury; her eyes murderous. Focused in her claws was a chilling intent to kill as Dragonite prepared for her Dragon Claw attack.

(Then you shall become my prey!)

With a thunderous roar, Dragonite slashed down with all her might at the defenseless Latias who screwed her eyes shut to prepare for the worst. But the attack never landed. With a great rush of wind a blue figure flew in low and barred Dragonite's way, while a powerful blue forearm blocked her downward strike.

"_Good grief,"_ said a familiar voice, "_I leave you out of my sight for a few hours and this happens?"_

Latias opened her eyes gingerly only to see the stern face of her brother frowning down at her very much like the numerous times he did when they were still young.

"_Latios…"_ Latias managed to say.

(What is the meaning of this?!) demanded Dragonite.

With a powerful psychic shove, Latios pushed Dragonite away from his little sister and called out to Ash.

"_You, the kid with terrible sounding name," _began Latios, "_Not you, the other one"_ he added as Brock started to move, "_Come help my sister off the field and keep her safely away from here"_

"But we are in the middle of train-"Ash began to protest

"_NOW!"_

With a blast of psionic wave that chilled the blood in Ash's vein, Latios drove his last command deep into his target's mind. Needless to say, Ash did not need to be persuaded twice as he hurried to Latias' side to support her off the battlefield.

(What... is… the… meaning… of… this?!) growled Dragonite through gritted teeth, biting off the ends of each word.

Once again, Latios ignored the question, but before Dragonite could press the issue further, Lando interjected.

"I must be truly blessed by Ho-oh to witness the Eon Twins personally," said Lando bowing low in respect to Latios, "It is my honor to greet the other half of the Legendary Pair, but as you can see we were in the middle of something and I would appreciate very much if you will state your intention, Latios"

"_My intention is none of your concern…human…" _replied Latios coldly, causing Lando to draw back and frown at Latios' hostility. His last reply also drew a particularly loud growl from Dragonite. And for the first time Latios seemed to take notice of the Dragon Pokémon.

"_You've something to say, Overgrown Caterpie?" _taunted Latios, "_Or is it Weedle?"_ Throwing up his arms in false surrender, Latios grinned disarmingly, "_You have to pardon me, but I swear by the Eons, you Bug Pokémon all look the same to me!_"

(Even if you are a Legendary Pokémon, I will not allow this disrespect to continue!) declared Dragonite, baring her fangs, (Prepare to defend yourself!)

"_Hmph, finally you are speaking in my terms,_" said Latios as he faced off against his opponent

The atmosphere on the plateau chilled despite the fact the sun hung high in the midday sky as the two formidable Pokémon faced each other across a span of distance. Clueless as always, Ash struggled to grasp the situation that had spun out of his control.

"Hey, what is going on here?" asked Ash, "What is Dragonite doing? Aren't going to continue the training?"

"From the looks of it, Latios is going to have a battle with Dragonite," Brock observed, "But let's worry about that later, we need to take care of Latias now, she seems to be hurt quite badly."

"_Latios, don't…"_ murmured Latias weakly to her brother, "_She is very strong… Get away while you still can."_ But her warning fell on deaf ears.

Dragonite carefully circled around Latios, who seemed to adopt a rather bored expression on his face. Not fooled by Latios' relaxed pretense, Dragonite planned her attacks carefully. So far, Latios made no attempts to keep her in sight, an arrogant and a foolish decision. Capitalizing on her opponent's arrogance, Dragonite's movements flowed into a single blur as she initiated an Extremespeed attack at the back of Latios' head with the intension to knock him out in a single blow. Dragonite couldn't had been more surprised when instead of the blow connecting like she had simulated in her mind, Latios simply tilted his head out of the way of the attack without so much as a backward glance and grabbed her attacking arm. Giving the arm a sharp tug, Latios utilized his opponent's forward momentum against her to throw her off balance.

"He dodged it!" exclaimed Misty, "But how? How was he able to dodge it without looking when I could barely catch the end of Dragonite's attack with my eyes?"

Recovering quickly from her surprise, Dragonite turned hard on her ankle, which caused the sudden change in her center of gravity. By using such change, Dragonite accelerated to the point which the spectators of the duel could have sworn she had just Teleported. But once again Latios was able to avoid the attack with minimal movements and retreated a few more paces, thus widening the distance between the combatants. Again, Dragonite repeated her attack at a different angle and again Latios danced out of the way.

"Hey, look at his coat," pointed Brock

Ash and Misty both squinted hard to see what Brock was talking about and eventually they found it. Although it was very subtle, Latios' coat was shimmering as he shifted and moved in response to Dragonite's maneuvering.

"_Luster Purge…" _said Latias in wonder, "_I have only seen it once, and it was on the day my brother perfected his invention…"_

"You mean he _created_ his own technique?" asked Ash, "Wow…"

Latias nodded in reply.

"_Latios uses himself as the focus of all psychic energy around him. By condensing the gathered psychic energy into a dense matter onto himself, he then releases the energy in burst, resulting in a blinding wave with him as the epicenter. There is no blind spot… there is no angle which it cannot reach… there is no escape… A perfect Purge…" _

"If Latios is capable of such incredible attack, why doesn't he use it?" ask Misty, clearly impressed by Latias' description of the technique.

"Maybe because Latios does not want to risk harming us," Brock pointed out, "The more fantastic the attack comes with equal amount of risk for using it," Brock paused as he recalled Draco Meteor, "But thanks to the mechanics of Luster Purge, Dragonite can't land a hit on Latios!"

"Wait, how?" asked Ash

"Remember Latias said Luster Purge is an attack that gather and condense the surrounding psychic energy onto the user?" explained Brock patiently, "Which means Latios is also drawing psychic energy from his opponent, Dragonite! Latios actually knows where to come from _as soon as_ Dragonite decides her angle of attack! Am I right, Latias?"

Latias nodded in affirmative. "_That is one other feared function of Luster Purge, which is to perfectly predict the opponent's attack and eventually turn their own psychic energy against them."_

"And Latios came up with this attack by himself…" breathed Ash

Latias suddenly felt a stab of jealousy and anger. For months she had fostered a crush on Ash to the point that it was enough to drive her mad, all these time, all the stolen kisses, all the sufferings of her heart she endured just so she can win her love's undivided devotion, his recognition and his pride in her. But in just few short minutes, all of which she had believed in, endured and suffered were robbed by none other than her very brother; for never in her wildest imagination did Latias thought she had to compete with Latios for Ash. Latias hated Ash for being so fickle, she cursed the boy's shallowness for looking at only power in Pokémon, but above all she cannot forgive Latios for being the ever looming shadow over her that made her look insignificant.

"_Yes, my dear brother…" _thought Latias darkly as she leered at her brother's exposed back, "_yes… keep that shimmering armor of yours up. Never let it falter. Never let it fade. For the moment you let down your guard, I WILL be there… to crush your Soul!_"

For the fourth time, Dragonite accelerated into a blur and for the fourth time Latios avoided Dragonite, but this time instead of simply skipping backwards, Latios chose to escape into the sky. This move made Dragonite grin inwardly as she knew Latios had just committed a beginner's mistake. By turning the battle into aerial combat, Latios had just exposed himself to more angles of attack. Not allowing the golden chance to slip by, Dragonite initiated Extremespeed for the fifth time. Latios' next maneuver completely threw off Dragonite. Instead of his previous small and limited movements, Latios performed a wide barrel-roll. In doing so, he exposed the bright midday sun full into the face of Dragonite as she closed in for the strike, temporary blinded; Dragonite instinctively threw up her arms to cover her eyes. For the first time, Latios went on the offensive as he slashed at his opponent's exposed back with his own Dragon Claw attack. Terrible screech issued and sparks flew as Latios' claws grated against Dragonite's armored scales but the attack did not cause any significant damage. With a pause Dragonite retaliated with a sweep of her mighty tail, knocking Latios back, thus opening up the distance between the combatants once more.

"Hey, something is strange," observed Misty, "With Latios making such costly big maneuver, why didn't Dragonite prepare for his counter-attack when her own had just missed?"

"It's not she didn't prepare for it, it's she COULDN'T prepare for it," replied Brock. Seeing the blank looks of his friends, he proceeded with his explanations.

"Extremespeed is basically a Pokémon's mastery of their footwork. The application is for the user to close the distance of engagement in least amount of movement possible. In other words, under ideal condition Extremespeed is simply just one big step. But depending on the user and the distance, a Pokémon may need to add more steps in between to close the distance, which increases the strain and fatigue on the user's body."

Brock paused to recollect the first few engagements between Latios and Dragonite.

"Noticed how Latios gradually widened the distance between him and his opponent? That was no mere retreat, he was tiring Dragonite out slowly. By the time Latios forced Dragonite into aerial combat, the strain on her body probably caused tunnel vision for Dragonite. Combined that with the sun, Latios was able to seal Dragonite's movement long enough to launch a proper counter-attack"

"Wow! Your brother is really amazing, Latias," gushed Ash, "I wish he was my Pokémon!"

Latias felt her heart had just been Drill Pecked by a thousand Dodrio.

Both dueling Pokémon were back on the ground now, with Dragonite slightly out of breath.

(You seem to have some talent, _brat_) spat Dragonite (Who is your trainer?)

The question drew an amused look from Latios.

"_Trainer? I have no need for such things," _replied Latios, "_Only a third-rate Pokémon like you needs a Trainer"_

Latias' venomous feeling for her brother deepened.

(I see your attitude is still disgusting,) answered Dragonite with equal coolness (I swear upon my honor, I will make you regret for every word you had uttered so far.)

"_No, you will not,"_ said Latios with a smile, "_Because I am going to beat you and your pathetic honor back into _that _pokeball"_ At which he nodded at Lando's belt.

"Dragonite, use Draco Meteor!" commanded Lando suddenly

Without hesitation Dragonite carried out her master's order.

"No, Lando you can't!" Brock shouted

But it was too late to stop Dragonite now. Sky darkened as Dragonite poured energy out of herself to summon great meteors out of the sky. Soon accompanied by distant rumbling sound, five flaming rocks began their rapid descend towards Latios. Looking up calmly, Latios' eyes turned blue as he ever so calmly raised one of his arms toward the incoming meteors. The meteors kept coming. Frowning with annoyance, Latios strained harder. The meteors seemed to slow just a hair, but they kept their inexorable descend.

"_Impossible,"_ thought Latios to himself as he brought his other arm up towards the falling rocks.

Sweat popped from his brows and his breathing became labored as Latios pitted his mental strength against Draco Meteor. As the falling meteors passed the peak of Mount Silver, the flaming rocks came to an abrupt stop. A grave-like silence descended upon the training ground as the sky cleared overhead. Brock sat down hard onto the ground as his weakened knees could no longer support his weight; Ash was so mesmerized by what he had seen, he would not notice if someone was to drop a Geodude on him. Both Misty and Latias were stunned beyond words to the point that Latias even forgot she was suppose to be jealous of her brother.

(No… way…) panted Dragonite, her shoulders slumped. Turning towards Lando, Dragonite seek guidance from her trainer but Lando was only studying Latios with cool and calculating look.

"_Hhhrrmph!"_

With a grunt of exertion Latios closed his claws forcefully into fists, crushing the suspended space rocks into little debris which rained down on top of Mount Silver. Sweat fell glistening from his brows like shards of diamonds as Latios gave his neck a quick flick to clear his eyes. Recovering his breath by heaving out a long sigh; Latios turned his gaze towards Dragonite and smiled.

"_Alright, my turn!" _said Latios

Raising both of his arms into the sky, Latios' eyes glowed blue once more as he concentrated. The sky darkened as the air on the training field began to charge to energy. An unnatural cold seemed to press down on the plateau as a distant rumbling filled the air. The group on the plateau was filled with awe, shock and dread as all of them knew too well what will be happening next. Brock grasped his chest as he gasped and gulped like a Magikarp out of water. Eight flaming meteors came screaming out of the sky.

"Not…Possible…When… How?!" gasped Brock incoherently

"Sight Sharing: Remembrance," said a female voice from behind Ash's group

"Bianca!" exclaimed Ash and his friends in unison as they turned around to see the origin of the voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Latios and I were just exploring the base of Mount Silver," explained Bianca "Suddenly Latios flew off in a hurry without saying a word. I have been search for him without success until now. But tell me, why is Latios battling Lando right now?"

"It's quite a long story," sighed Misty

"So what is this 'Sight Sharing: Remembrance'?" asked Brock curiously, "I have never heard of a Pokémon move like that"

"Sight Sharing is a special ability which Latios and Latias posses, I believe Ash had experienced their ability the first time he had visited Altomare."

Ash nodded as he quickly explained his experience in Altomare to his friends. The meteors continued descend to the training ground without slowing, but Lando and Dragonite were simply staring at the incoming rocks. When Brock asked for a clarification on Sight Sharing ability, Bianca explained that the Sight Sharing ability came in two parts, of which Latios' part was called Remembrance, which allowed him to analyze, record and break down the structure, energy and forms of virtually anything he saw with that ability and store the information within himself. Once stored Latios would then be able to utilize the knowledge at will.

"So together with Latias' Sight Sharing: Recollection, which has the power to project into reality, the siblings is living records of our hometown," concluded Bianca, "Which is why people of Altomare sometimes refer to them in our local dialect as **Ricordo** and **Memoria.**"

The meteors were almost upon the training ground now and Lando decided it was the time to strike.

"Dragonite, now Dragon Claw! Take them head on!" Lando shouted

(Don't you dare underestimate me!) roared Dragonite as she charged the meteors.

One after the other she destroyed the flaming rocks with her Dragon Claw in an impressive display of strength and speed. Large chunks of debris rained down onto the plateau causing all occupants to scramble for safety. As the eighth and the last meteor was smashed, it revealed Latios hiding behind it who wasted no time to charge Dragonite at high speed. Dragonite let out an involuntary gasp of pain as Latios' claw punched right through her armored scales and into the soft flesh underneath. Both Pokémon crash into the middle of the plateau in a big cloud of dust. When the dust cleared, Latios was standing over Dragonite; his arm dyed red with blood.

"_Tsk… I've missed the heart,"_ said Latios

"Enough!" called out Lando in his commanding tone, "I will allow this foolishness no longer!"

Lando stepped forward to put himself between Latios and his wounded Dragonite.

"_You are in my way," _said Latios in low voice, "_Get lost!"_

With a flick of a single claw, Latios propelled Lando into a mountainside with a crash

"Latios!" exclaimed the onlookers in unison, horrified at what had transpired.

Driven mad with fear and rage Dragonite forced her onto her feet and let loose a devastating Hyper Beam with a terrible roar. As she noticed Latios moved to avoid her attack, she summoned her remaining strength to perform one last Extremespeed . Dragonite felt her leg muscles tore as she pushed her wounded body into unbelievable speed to the back of her opponent. Latios turned around too late as Dragonite pushed him into the path of Hyper Beam; his last image before the Hyper Beam hit was Dragonite's face contorted in grief; tears were streaming from her eyes…

(Farewell…)

Latios did not even have a chance to scream as the Hyper Beam exploded on him, shaking the entire area with the blast. The tremor from the Hyper Beam shook the plateau down to the core and black smoke began to rise from the impact point. Blood drained out of Ash's face and he began to shiver uncontrollably as the boy for the first time ever in his life, felt what every being in the world hoped they would never experience: true fear. Ash felt it. He felt the malicious murderous intent from Latios as he drove his claws into Dragonite and he felt the same chill as Dragonite had delivered her final blow on her opponent. As Ash was frozen in fear, he neither noticed his friends rushing forward to Latios nor noticed Lando was limping towards his Pokémon, for the only thing that dominated his vision the terrifying form of the bloodied Dragonite standing over Latios' broken body.

(I told you I will make you pay,) panted Dragonite, (In the end, you are nothing but pretense and arrogance, just like your sister!)

Just as Dragonite finished her sentence, Latios' still body vanished in a puff of smoke.

"A Substitute!" exclaimed Lando, his eyes widened in shock.

"_My, my, whatever shall I do?"_ said Latios' voice somewhere above Dragonite, "_I just made a liar out of you."_

Looking up, Dragonite saw her opponent was glowing ominously.

(_Shimatta!_) was all Dragonite could manage to think in her native Kanto dialect

A blinding wave of energy rippled out from Latios and washed over the entire plateau. Dragonite grabbed her head in pain as tremendous amount psychic energy battered against her consciousness. With so much amount of energy pressing against her mind, Dragonite could not think or move, let alone strategize her next counter-attack. The only thing she could do was trying to remain conscious during the assault. As result, Dragonite could do nothing as she felt herself tackled and pinned to the ground by Latios. Abruptly, the attack on her mind had ceased. When her vision cleared, Dragonite saw Latios was holding his claws right under her nostrils while wearing a confident smile. Bending his head forward, Latios whispered into Dragonite's mind.

"_I believe I have told you, pretty girl, I will beat you and your pathetic honor back into your pokeball"_

Getting off Dragonite, Latios turned his back towards his opponent.

(Why,) asked Dragonite weakly, (What is the reason that made you come at me with such relentless conviction?)

Briefly looking back at Dragonite, he directed his gaze at Latias, of which Dragonite followed.

"_There is no special reason"_ said Latios quietly, "_it was simply because you had bared your fangs at my pride…"_

With that, Latios flew off towards his sister.


	6. Chapter 6: The Jewel of Passion

**Il gioiello della Passione: The Jewel of Passion**

Dragonite followed Latios with her eyes as he flew off towards his sister, Latias. As she was being returned into her pokeball, she smiled and said to herself.

(Latios and his pride, huh… What a worthy opponent.)

After carefully putting away his Dragonite's pokeball, Lando limped towards Ash and his friend. Careful not to make eye contact with Latios, he nodded to Ash.

"We shall meet back here in three days," Lando said simply and without a backward glance, he hiked down Mount Silver.

Alone by themselves on the plateau now, the group of young trainers looked around at each other uneasily as they confronted Latios. After a brief moment of silence, Bianca stepped forward, her head bowed and her body tensed.

"Latios…" she began

"_Yes, My Lady-"_

*SMACK!*

The sound echoed across the entire plateau as Bianca slapped Latios across his face with all the strength she could muster. Touching his stinging cheek, Latios looked at Bianca quizzically.

"_Bianca, I-"_

_*_SMACK!*

For the second time the slapping sound echoed across the plateau as Bianca backhanded Latios' other cheek and without another word, she stormed off towards the path that lead down the mountain.

"_Bianca, why-" _began Latios, but deciding against it, he bowed his head and looked at the ground.

One by one Ash and his friends hurriedly followed Bianca down the mountain, leaving Latias alone with her brother. But eventually even she headed down the mountain without so much as a word or backward glance. As Ash was walking down the mountain he began to reassess his situation. After witnessing Latios' ability to defeat Lando's Dragonite with ease, he was utterly convinced that he must obtain Latios in order to fulfill his dream as a Pokémon Master.

"_But aren't you being unfaithful to Latias?"_ asked a small part of his conscience

Ash dismissed the thought. Ash reasoned with himself that he was not being unfaithful to Latias as he did not betray any part of their relationship. Besides, sure, Latias may be pretty, kind, innocent and loyal she doesn't have the talent or skill to take on the Pokémon League. Ash continued to argue that Latias was the one offering to help and become his Pokémon, and the fact that he made no promise to actually use Latias in the League, Ash felt he had the right to replace Latias now that she is his Pokémon. After all, he must not let his own sentiment get in the way of Pokémon battles; wasn't it the exact words taught to him by Lando? Yes… Yes, of course! It all made sense now, didn't Lando say sometimes he needs to give up those he loves in order to protect those he treasures? By giving up on allowing Latias to participate in the League, he was protecting her from actual harm of the battles! Everything seemed to fit in the young trainer's mind. Congratulating himself on resolving such difficult issue, he began to plan on the next stage of his strategy.

"_Now, how am I supposed to convince Latios to work for me?" _pondered Ash

Judging by his observation, the relation between Latios and Latias was strained, although Ash himself was unaware as to why. Even with his limited understanding, Ash was smart enough to deduce that Latios was not exactly being friendly to him either. And then there is another problem: Latios is not a conventional Pokémon, but rather an alternate manifestation of the Soul Dew. Slightly annoyed by the obstacle of technicality, Ash frowned but dismissed the issue for now as he was pretty confident that he will find a solution around it. When the group finally reached the Pokémon Center, the sun was setting low on the horizon, painting the evening sky russet. Upon entering the Pokémon Center, Ash and his friend release their Pokémon out of their respective pokeballs in order for them to relax and socialize. After entrusting Latias to Nurse Joy, Ash walked towards to trainers' dormitory.

"I am going to turn in early," he announced to rest of his friends, "I will see you all tomorrow."

The next morning was unlike our typical day in the Pokémon World, for the sky was overcast and rain fell on Silver Town like a damp and grey blanket. Alone on the plateau where Ash was training with Lando, Latios opened his eyes and stretched. Shivering a bit, Latios looked around the now desolate plateau. The sight that greeted him was a pitiful and depressing one as the once pristine plateau was littered with meteorites, craters and scorch marks. Shaking his head sadly, Latios pushed the desolate image out of his mind and started off the mountain. He did not descend the mountain on the previous day because Latios did not want to confront his human companions after the events of yesterday, for he knew his presence would be unwanted and he did not have much to say to his companions. But now hunger and cold had finally bent his pride, Latios grudgingly floated down the path which led him back into civilization. The rain started to fall heavily as Latios approached the base of Mount Silver. Hugging himself tightly, Latios began to formulate the words he was going to say when he confronted by the humans. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost failed to notice a figure barring his way. Squinting through the rain, Latios saw the figure was none other than his sister, Latias.

"_Fight me…" _she said

Latios did not answer as he closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped.

"_Fight me," _said Latias again

This time Latios responded by opening his eyes halfway and pointed at his sister with one of his claws.

"_You are in my way,"_ said Latios slowly in low voice, "_Get lost"_

Latias was all too prepared of what was coming next, for she effortlessly sidestepped the column of psychic attack which parted the rain like a hot knife cleaving through butter.

"_Fight me,"_ challenged Latias for the third time.

"_Don't be ridiculous," _countered Latios, facing Latias in earnest now, "_What would you gain from fighting me? Beside, do you really think you can win in your current condition?"_

"_You always have been an obstacle to me, Latios. But no more, I am going to change that fact, right here, right now."_

Latios' eyes glowed blue as he pierced his sister with his gaze.

"_I see. So you are after the knowledge of Draco Meteor. Do you really think if you defeat me, I will surrender that knowledge to you?_" asked Latios, "_Don't be naive!"_ he shouted his last three words.

"_Well, if you won't then I will just tear it from your mind!"_ shouted Latias.

Latias charged her older brother through the pouring rain while sending a spike of psychic energy at Latios' consciousness aiming to disable him before he can retaliate. Latios simple made a grabbing motion at the charging Latias, stopping her forward momentum with an abrupt jerk. Latias let out a yelp of surprise as she was held in firmly in place in mid-air. She then screamed in frustration as Latias struggled and thrashed in vain to free herself from the psychic prison. Latios approached his sister until their face almost touched.

"_You know why you can't do anything, Latias?"_ asked Latios, "_It's because you lack conviction. If you truly want to defeat me, you need to despise me…. Be jealous of me… surpass me! Until the day you can stand before me and crush me with your overwhelming power, you will forever remain in my shadows."_

With that, Latios stepped around his sister and continued down the mountain path with Latias' scream echoing in his mind.

"_Come back and fight me, you coward! Don't you act high and mighty just because you were hatched a few hours earlier than me!"_

It was almost afternoon when Ash was shocked awoke by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Shaking the tingling of electricity off him, Ash yawned and stretched.

"Thanks, Pikachu," he said sleepily, "have I missed the breakfast?"

"Pika! Pika!" said Pikachu in an admonishing tone

Looking outside of his room's window, Ash found the rain was still pouring down relentlessly. The spirit of Ash dampened somewhat as he hoped to a clear day so that he can do some intensive training with his Pokémon. Leaving his room in hopes to find some leftovers in the dining area, Ash heard a strange sound in the corridor. It was as if someone was crying, but the sound was muffled that it was almost lost in the pattering sound of raindrops.

"What do you think that is, Pikachu?" Ash asked his electric friend

"Pika…" replied Pikachu shaking his head

Out of curiosity, Ash decided to follow the sound with his Pikachu trailing behind him. When he traced the sound to its origin, Ash was taken aback as he was standing right outside of Bianca's room. Concerned, Ash tried the doorknob. The door was unlocked. Cracking the door slightly, Ash peered through and the sight that greeted him caused another level of astonishment as the figure who was sobbing their eyes out was none other than Latios. With his back turned away from the door, Latios did not notice Ash stepped into the room and placed his hand on one of his wings. Lifting his head with a surprised jerk, Latios quickly wiped away his tears and gulped.

"_What are you doing here?_" asked Latios thickly

"I heard your crying from down the corridor," said Ash "What happened?"

"Pika, pi?" added Pikachu with concern

"_I wasn't crying,_" lied Latios, "_I sneezed, it's dusty in here…_"

Taking his hand off Latios' wing, Ash smiled kindly.

"It's ok, Latios, you can tell me your trouble," said Ash, "Did you have a fight with Latias again?"

"_Of course I did!"_ exploded Latios, tears burst forth from his eyes in uncontrollable torrent, "_It's always been like this: 'Latios, stop fighting with your little sister!', 'Latios, you need to take care of your sister more,', 'Latios, how can you let this happen to Latias? Apologize immediately!' It had always been my fault, mine… MINE!"_

At the very end, Latios' tone had risen to a hysterical pitch. Feeling sorry, Ash gently patted the blue dragon's back.

"_Nobody understands,_" gulped Latios, "_I tried, I have tried so hard. All I ever wanted was Latias to be safe and happy. Yet nobody understands, not even her._"

"I understand…" said Ash gently

"_She hates me,_" continued Latios bitterly, "_Every attempt to protect her is seen as an obstacle, and every attempt to make her happy is seen as unwanted. Now every chance she gets, she wants to remove me from existence. Yet still nobody understands… I feel so… I feel so lonely!_"

"I understand Latios," said Ash as he continued to pat Latios, "I understand that everything you did was for the best"

"_I don't need your pity, Ash Ketchum!_" said Latios angrily slapping away the young trainer's hand with his arm.

"Pika!" warned Pikachu, electricity crackling from his cheeks

"No," replied Ash, "but it seems you can use my friendship"

For a moment Latios did not speak. Wiping away his tears, Latios hugged himself tightly as if to protect himself from cold.

"_She is madly in love with you, do you know that?_" asked Latios, "_My sister is._"

"I do," replied Ash

"_And you loved her in return?_"

Ash nodded in affirmation.

"_And what do you have to show for that?_"

"Well," answered Ash carefully, "I've given her my love, I've given her gifts… And I've given her a name…"

"_A name…?_" asked Latios curiously, "_What name would that be?_"

"Jewel…"

"_Jewel…_" said Latios slowly in contemplation, "_Jewel… __**Gioiello**__… __**Il gioiello della Passione**_" Latios ended with a smile.

"What was that?" asked Ash

"_Nothing,_" replied Latios, "_It's a very noble and fitting name. But you haven't really answered my question. The answer I was looking for was 'conviction'. What are you willing to do, what are you willing to sacrifice, what will you obtain at all cost in order to make Latias happy_?"

Ash did not have an answer for Latios. No, that wasn't true, he _had_ an answer, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to say it out loud. Instead, Ash tried to buy some time by counter asking why Latios wanted to know about his conviction.

"_You are probably familiar with the reason behind our origin in Altomare_," began Latios, "_But do you know the reason why our father had brought us to that town in the first place?_"

Ash shook his head. Now that he thought about it, he was only told that the siblings' father brought water to Altomare to defend it, but he had no knowledge of why Latios' father had come to settle in Altomare in the first place.

"_It was our mother,_" Latios sighed, "_This was the story my father had told me while he was still alive. I was a mere hatchling then, so was Latias, but whereas she had forgotten, I remembered his every word_."

"So what's the story?", asked Ash who was eager to keep the topic away from himself

"_It began with my mother falling in love with a human trainer sometime after she had laid her Eggs," recalled Latios, "And the trainer likewise loved her back and two of them continued their relation in secret without my father noticing_."

Here, Latios' voice hardened.

"_But the human was also greedy. After witnessing the power of my mother, he wanted more. So he sent my mother to capture the rest of her family. Blinded by love, she obeyed the human without hesitation. That was when my father found out about the relation, but he refused to harm his love who had betrayed him. So instead he took both of the Eggs and fled._"

Latios' eyes started to well up with tears again as he came to the conclusion of his narration.

"_Disappointed by her failure to capture her family, the trainer abandoned my mother. Unable to bare her grief and shock that resulted from her abandonment, it was said that my mother had chosen to end her existence with her own powers_"

"I am sorry…" said Ash, his eyes were also welling up with tears, "I am so sorry…"

"Pika…pi…" added Pikachu

"_Now do you see why I ask of you conviction, Ash?_" said Latios, "_I need to know the tragedy that happened to our mother does not repeat itself on Latias_"

Ash thought long and hard for his answer and as he thought he grew angry with himself. Thinking back on his plan to replace Latias as a candidate to challenge the Pokémon League, Ash realized he was just as shallow as the trainer in Latios' story. He wanted power and nothing more. He even made up an excuse that he was replacing Latias in the name of keeping her from harm, but he now realized it was a lie. What he did was betraying his own trust in Latias and her trust in him that through her actions, he will be happy. Ash knew of his faults and he thanked the fate that he was given the chance to correct his mistake. Steeling himself, he looked straight into Latios' large brown eyes.

"I would rather die than betray the trust my Pokémon have placed in me," declared the young trainer, "and my own trust in them!"

"Pi! Pikachu!" nodded Pikachu in approval

Latios' eyes glowed blue as he studied the young man standing in front of him with his Sight Sharing: Remembrance. There was no doubt in Ash's eyes, his pose was confident and his mind was set. This was the answer Latios looking for. Smiling, he closed his eyes.

"_Perhaps there is hope for you yet,_" said Latios, "_Promise me that my sister will be safe in your care,_" when Ash agreed that he would, Latios added, "_Now, go! And make Latias happy_"

Outside in the rain, Latias was huddled under a tree and sobbing softly by herself in the backwoods of the Pokémon Center. For all her young life, Latias haven't felt so lost and confused. She could feel Ash was slowly distancing himself from her and her relationship between Latios was already in shambles. The worst part was, in order gain the approval of one side, it seemed she had to permanently sever her ties with another and Latias was not ready to lose Ash or her own brother. Drowned in her own sorrow, Latias failed to notice a figure approached her through the pouring rain.

(What's this?) said a friendly voice, (Brooding by ourselves, are we?)

Cuffing her tears away, Latias looked up to see Lando's Dragonite who was swathed in bandages with one of her arms in a sling standing by her.

"_What are you doing here?_" asked Latias hoarsely, "_Isn't it painful to walk about in your condition?_"

Sniffing slightly, Dragonite thumped her chest and winced slightly as she mistakenly hit the spot where Latios' claws had wounded her.

(I am a Pokémon of the Former Champion) she declared proudly, (I do not feel pain!)

Latias couldn't help but smile from Dragonite's false bravado, but it quickly melted away as Latias sank back into her depressed expression. Carefully sitting herself down next to Latias with a sigh, Dragonite looked at the younger Pokémon.

(Saw you from the windows of my recovery room,) said Dragonite, (you looked so pathetic from up there, I've decided to come and see if I can help)

Without warning, Latias buried her face in Dragonite's bosom and bawled her eyes out. Taking the situation in stride, Dragonite patted Latias' back slowly and gently.

(There, there, that's it…) soothed Dragonite (cry them all out on these scales, little girl)

"_Little girl, little girl,_" muttered Latias angrily, pulling back from Dragonite, "_You keep calling me that, just how old does that make you anyway?!_"

After thinking for a moment, Dragonite whispered her answer into Latias' ear which in turned caused Latias' eyes to widen in surprise.

"_But that makes you barely three years older than me!_" exclaimed Latias

(Oh? Is that so? You sure don't act it,) replied Dragonite, (Feeling better now?) she added with a smile

Latias' expression saddened once more.

"_Not really,_" she said quietly

(This is about your trainer, isn't it)

When Latias nodded in replied, Dragonite let loose a burst of laughter.

(I don't understand why you are complicating these things,) said Dragonite, (you see, men are rather simple creatures. Most of them are only capable of having one thing in their mind at a time.)

Dragonite adjusted her position slightly to allow herself more comfort

(That applies to how they tackle things in the world. Ambitions, desires, love, they all mean the same for men. Just one single track of approach, absolutely no compromises at all)

"_So what is your point?_" asked Latias

(My point is, your Ash is in love with something within you,) explained Dragonite, (Power, beauty, intelligence, I do not know which, but when you show him the quality he wants to see and he will grovel at your feet, but if you don't he will start moving away from you.)

"_The quality he wants to see?_"

(But you need to remember,) continued Dragonite sternly, (Men are simple creatures. A lot of them don't even understand what they are looking for in the interest, and a lot of Pokémon make the mistake of trying to impress their masters by attempting feats that are beyond their capabilities resulting in disappointments for their masters and unhappiness to the Pokémon.)

"_So are you saying I should just remain who I am now?_" asked Latias

When Dragonite nodded, Latias shook her head angrily in denial.

"_I can't do that,_" insisted Latias in a firm voice, "_If I don't defeat you, Ash will not get his chance to challenge the Elite Four!_"

Now it was Dragonite's turn to shake her head.

(That is a classic case of a Pokémon mistake,) sighed Dragonite (you may think defeating me and securing the challenge right to Elite Four is the quality Ash is looking for in you, but he might be looking for something else, he just hasn't realize it yet.)

"_Well, if even Ash doesn't know what he wants himself, then how am I supposed to figure it out?_"

Dragonite simply shrugged as she did not have an answer to that question. Dusting herself off, Dragonite stood up.

(Anyway, think about what I've said,) said Dragonite as she headed in the direction of Pokémon Center, (I have a feeling your trainer will come to look for you soon, why don't the two of you talk it out then?)

Just as Dragonite had predicted Ash tracked through the backwoods of Pokémon Center with an umbrella shortly after Dragonite had left. Seeing Latias still huddled beneath a tree, Ash immediately made a beeline towards her. When he reached Latias, Ash put down his umbrella, took off his jacket and placed his jacket around Latias' shoulders. Slowly, Ash sat down next to his lover.

"There you are," said Ash trying to sound cheerful, "I had been looking all over for you. What are you doing here all by yourself?"

Latias did not answer. Snuggling closer, Ash put an arm around Latias and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Come on, Jewel," he pleaded, "You can tell me about what is troubling you."

With a sudden rush of movements, Latias tackled Ash to the ground and began to suffocate him with her kisses. As Ash tasted his lover's tongue in his mouth, he felt a variety of emotions that he was not expecting from Latias. Anger… Sorrow… Desperation… Ash accepted all her feelings with his heart and in return, he tried to pour all his affection, faith and reassurance back at Latias. But being awkward as he is, Ash wasn't sure if his lover understood all his feelings. After a long while, their lips finally separated.

"I am sorry, Jewel," Ash apologized

"_What are you apologizing for?_"

Ash confessed about the encounter he had earlier with her brother. He also told her how he had learn about the history of the siblings' parents, Latios' question about his conviction and his eventual answer to Latios' question.

"_Oh Ash, I've never doubted you_," lied Latias, "_Your words just make me so happy!_"

Upon hearing Latias' response, Ash could only lay on the ground as tears of joy flowed freely from his eyes. Hugging his one and only love tightly, Ash sobbed.

"Thank you, Jewel, thank you so much… I promise I will never be weak enough to doubt you ever again."

The rain had stopped and the rush of chilly mountain wind parted the clouds to reveal a beautiful sunset that painted the sky in a passionate rose. Getting up from the ground the young lovers sat up to drink in the wonders of nature's beauty. While admiring the ruby-red sun, Ash remembered something from earlier.

"You know, Latios had mentioned something about your name, Jewel," said Ash, "something about… Geo… Joule…Joy…"

"_Gioiello?_"

"Yes, that! **Gioiello**, **il gioiello della Passione**, that is what he said," replied Ash, "I think he meant describe you, Jewel."

"I _never expect such a blockhead like him is capable of composing something that creative_," joked Latias as she closed her eyes to capture the sun's last warm embrace, "_It's beautiful. What do you say, Ash?_"

In the silhouette of the setting sun, Ash gave a long and deeply passionate kiss to his lover in response.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Comments! Comments! Please leave your comments about the story in the reviews. As many of you may know, this is my first time writing on FanFiction and my first time writing on Romance genre to boot. I need everyone's help to make me a better writer, I need to know what I had been doing right so far and what I am doing wrong in order to make this story even more enjoyable to my readers. I appreciate everyone's support so far and hope for your continued support in the upcoming chapters. Thanks!

P.S. And please don't forget to follow the story to receive regular updates on new chapters to the story.


	7. Chapter 7: A Test of Conviction

**Author's Note:  
**

Whew! After falling ill for sometime, I managed to finish the long awaited Chapter 7. After reading through the reviews (Thank you all so much!) I decided there are some clarification needed regarding some elements to my story. First, is the different mode of communications between our characters:

"Words"- These are our regular speech, generally used by our human characters and other special characters like Meowth from Team Rocket.

"_Words_"- Telepathy/private thoughts. Telepathy is the main form of communication for our Lati-siblings and/or other Pokemon with strong psychic affinities.

(Words)- Advanced Poke-speech. So far you only seen this form of communication used exclusively by Dragonite. As the story progresses more, you will start seeing other Pokemon utilize this form of communication. Advance Poke-speech is just like common poke-speech (i.e. Pokemon are just repeating their own name or parts of it when they "talk") but due to their specialized training and education, Advanced Poke-speech is easily understood by humans. It denotes the Pokemon is very well trained and powerful. Generally reserved for Pokemon who had attained League level or above.

{Words}- Common Poke-speech. These are your generic "Pi, pika, Pi" type. Other Pokemon can understand these type of communication, while humans will find it harder to comprehend these forms of communication.

Second, starting with Chapter 5, I had introduced the element of Regional dialects in my story. So for my Pokemon World, everyone is assumed that they learned Universal (the language that is used in all regions) from their parents/school/etc., but they may also speak their own native language that is unique of their own region. The regional dialects have their real world (that is the world you readers live in :P) counter-parts which I will point out as the story develops. Generally, characters will say phrases in their native dialect either because they are under stress, can't find the word in Universal or they want to create a special effect with their words. The reason why I chose to introduce Regional Dialects is because I want to add more ambiance to my story. The following are the languages used so far.

**Universal**- [English] Majority of the conversations, contents and written language within the story's Pokemon World.

**Kanto**- [Japanese, spelled in Romanji format] Most likely known by characters/Pokemon from Kanto region, although it is unknown if Ash, Brock or Misty knows this dialect.

**Altomare/ Southern Johto**- [Italian] Known speakers are Bianca, Latios (and possibly Latias) and other residence of the Region.

More Regions will be added later in the story, thus more languages will be introduced, which they will be mentioned once it is their turn to debut. (No spoilers, hehe).

Alright! Enough stalling! Here is Chapter 7!

* * *

**A Test of Conviction**

The morning after the previous day's rain was crisp and chilly with the sun shyly peeking its face over the sleepy horizon. The interior of the Pokémon Center was dark and quiet as most of the trainers and their Pokémon were still asleep in their beds. All but one trainer, as Brock was heading towards the public kitchen of the Pokémon Center to prepare breakfast for his friends per his usual routine. As he approached the kitchen, Brock was pleasantly surprised that the light was on and there were some delicious smells issuing from the kitchen. Peering into the interior of the kitchen Brock was even more surprised to find out the figure that was clad in a chef's apron and flipping pancakes was not a person, but a Pokémon. The Pokémon, Latios. Surrounding the blue Eon Pokémon were a cluster of baby Pokémon who all seemed to be waiting impatiently for food.

"Good morning, Latios," greeted Brock pleasantly, "Wow, I didn't expect you to be here."

Looking around, Latios nodded in acknowledgement towards one of Ash's friend before turning back to his work.

"_Morning to you too, ah…"_ greeted Latios in return

"Brock"

"_Brock, as you can see I am just getting myself something to eat. I haven't eaten for past two days,"_ explained Latios, "_Or the past several months, for that matter," _he added after a brief moment of pause.

"Are these your news friends?" asked Brock motioning to the cluster of baby Pokémon around Latios.

Latios looked sheepish for a moment as he moved to put a tray of waffles into the oven.

"_Well, they caught me sneaking food from here, so I've decided to make them some as a form of apology."_

Brock was moderately taken aback by the unexpected display of compassion on Latios' part, for Latios did not look like he had such capacity judging by what Brock had witnessed in the battle between Latios and Lando's Dragonite. In fact, Brock found that Latios being sociable at all was surprising. But Brock kept his thought to himself, as he did not want to offend such formidable creature.

"Mind if I try some of those?" asked Brock as he changed the subject while motioning to the plethora of dishes which Latios had prepared.

Latios simply waved as he levitated one of his culinary products in front of Brock. Cutting himself a small portion of the dish like any expert culinary critic would, Brock transferred the morsel into his mouth and savored the taste. The result brought sparkles to his eyes.

"Wow! These are simply divine!" complimented Brock with enthusiasm, "Latios, I wasn't expecting you to be such an accomplished cook!"

"_Oh, don't be ridiculous,"_ replied Latios dismissively, "_How else did you think I have sustained myself all those years prior to our meeting in Altomare?"_

With a smile, Latios lowered a platter heavy with Pokémon poffins into the midst of waiting baby Pokémon who carried the platter out of the kitchen with squeals of delight.

"Good point," smiled Brock knowingly, "I heard Latias' cooking is lacking in taste."

"_Inedible is more like it,"_ muttered Latios with a grimace

Soon rest of the group descended from their dormitories with Ash and Latias arriving last into the dining area. Not surprisingly, Ash and Misty expressed their astonishment and appreciation as they found out the breakfast they are having were prepared by Latios. Although unhappy that her brother once again had outdone her, Latias kept her silence as she shoveled down food with extra vigor as she seethed. At least in eating, she will NOT lose to her brother. Apparently, the news of Latios' culinary skill spread faster than a Water Pokémon under Swift Swim effect as before long, the blue Eon dragon was besieged by fawning female Pokémon from all Regions competing for his attention; much to both Bianca and Latias' dismay.

{Nee, Nee, Latios-**niichan **,} pestered a Clefable with a thick Kanto accent, {Come on a date with me to Viridian City. We will have so much fun there! I can even teach you some Kanto phrases like-}

(**Jama-da**,) interrupted a fierce voice, (**Kieu-rou**!)

The cluster of female Pokémon dispersed as they fled in terror when a miniature Hyper Beam cut across the group. Although she did not want to admit at the time, Latias was actually glad and relieved to see Lando's Dragonite, who had fully recovered now, was the one that broke the siege around her brother.

"_That was rather unnecessary,"_ commented Latios coolly, "_What do you want now? If it is a rematch you want…"_

Avoiding eye contact with Latios, Dragonite shuffled her feet awkwardly. Pink patches which looked suspiciously like blush spots appeared beneath her orange scales.

(Well… erm… I had by chance tried some of your poffins,) began Dragonite hesitantly, (And… I was wondering if you still have some left over…) upon seeing an amused look from Latios, she quickly added, (Not that I liked them or anything like that!)

"_I am afraid there are no more poffins right now, but I will make more just for you when I get the chance," _said Latios with a grin.

(You will?) exclaimed Dragonite excitedly, her face brightened, (Ahem… I mean... You will, I see. Very well then, I shall look forward to it…)

With that Dragonite did an abrupt about-face from the group and walked off stiffly, while oblivious that she was drawing snickers from Ash and his friends and heated glares directed at her back from Bianca and Latias.

"Hey, I have an idea," joked Misty, "We should have Latios make enough of those poffins to bribe Dragonite to lose on purpose, what do you guys think?"

Latias immediately thought it was a terrible idea.

It was still a few hours before her scheduled training with Lando and his Dragonite, so Latias pondered about what she could do in the last few hours to better prepare herself against her tough opponent. After going through several ideas, Latias finally decided that she would try another attempt at obtaining the knowledge of Draco Meteor from her brother. Seeing Latios was in much better mood compared to the past several days, Latias thought she just might have the chance to persuade her brother to share the knowledge of the attack that terrorized Ash and his group so much.

"_I can't do that, Latias,"_ came the expected reply when Latios was confronted alone in Bianca's room.

"_Why not, Latios?" _argued Latias, "_How hard can it be? You were able to use it only by looking at it ONCE!"_

"_It is not about you not having the talent to execute the technique," _countered Latios, "_It's because you lack the conviction to carry it out successfully!"_

"_Conviction, what conviction?! Quit talking in riddles!"_

Latios sighed and looked at the ceiling as if asking it for help.

"_Draco Meteor is a test of the user and his conviction, his resolve, his will, his belief, or however you want to call it, to cause destruction of untold scale. The user has to WANT it, to DESIRE destroying the target of your technique. Without a proper reason, it will be impossible to carry out Draco Meteor, as even with the tiniest hesitation, or the faintest doubt, the attack fails."_

"_I have a proper reason! I want to win, what more of a reason I need?"_ continued Latias with her argument.

Latios closed his eyes and shook his head sadly without answering. Seizing the chance of her brother being vulnerable, Latias tackled Latios to the floor with her eyes glowing in bright golden color.

"_If you are not going to surrender the knowledge of Draco Meteor willingly, I guess I will just sit on you until I force it out of your mind!"_ said Latias harshly

"_Ah, what are you doing Latias?!"_ panicked Latios as he wiggled and thrashed about to avoid eye contact with Latias, "_Get off of me! You're heavy!_"

Putting both her arms on Latios' shoulders, Latias applied all her body weight in attempt to pin down her struggling brother.

"_Stop resisting!" _growled Latias through gritted teeth, "_You are only making this more unpleasant for yourself!"_

"_Get-off- of-me-Get-off-of-me-Get-off-of-me-Get-off-of-me!"_ screamed Latios as tried to push Latias off.

"Latios! Latias!" gasped a shocked and horrified voice from the doorway.

The struggling Eon Twins froze to look at the doorway only to see Bianca standing at the doorway accompanied by Misty. Both girls were covering their mouth with their hands in an expression of horror.

"I…I am so so…sor…sorry!" shouted Misty in a panicked apology as she averted her eyes to the scene in front of her; her face was beet red, "We… we… we… we didn't mean to interrupt! I wasn't aware that you two were that kind of…"

"_NO!"_ yelled Latios, his arms came flying off from his sister, "_You have it all wrong! This is not what it looks like_-"

Latios' explanation was interrupted by Latias flying into Bianca with fake tears streaming from her eyes.

"_Waaa! I am so glad you've showed up, Bianca!"_ wailed Latias onto her best friend's shoulder, "_Latios was making me do all sorts of uncomfortable stuff, and he won't even tell me why!"_

"_QUIET, YOU!" _roared Latios, springing up from the floor.

Pushing Latias to safety behind her back Bianca place herself firmly in front of Latios.

"What you did to Latias was totally unacceptable, Latios," scolded Bianca, behind her Latias cheekily stuck out her tongue at the fuming Latios, "Your behavior is really getting out of hand!"

"_But, I-"_

"Do NOT talk back at me when I am lecturing you!" Bianca raised her voice to drown out any argument Latios was trying to make, "I can't believe how irresponsible you have gotten!"

"_But, I-"_

"And how can you even THINK about bullying Latias at times like this?" continued Bianca louder still, "You know how important it is for Latias to prepare for her upcoming training, not only you are not helping her, you are causing her to lose focus! I am very disappointed in you, Latios!"

"_That's right, Latios, I am very disappointed that you are not helping too,"_ said Latias, rubbing in the situation

"_GAH! I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" exploded Latios_

And exploded he did, as in the next moment the form of Latios shattered into a cloud of glittering dust, which swirled and condensed into a sphere, dropping onto the floor with a thud. Undaunted, Bianca marched forward, picked up the Soul Dew and proceeded to shake it violently.

"Hey! You WILL show me the respect of paying attention to me when I am talking to you!" scolded Bianca, "Latios! Are you listening?! I am not done with you! Come out in your corporeal form right now, I have-!"

At this point Latias thought it was a good time to sneak away unnoticed. Escorting Misty, who was witnessing the entire conversation unfold in a daze, out the door, Latias quietly closed it behind her while grimacing at the fact that she can still hear Bianca continuing her verbal onslaught against Latios.

"Do you always play pranks like that on your brother?" asked Misty as she walked down the corridor with Latias, "At least that's what it seemed like judging from the reactions…"

"_That? Prank? Hardly!"_ answered Latias with a peal of laughter, "_If you call what just happened a prank, then you would NOT want to know the things I did to Latios whenever I catch him taking a nap_."

Upon seeing the expression on Latias' face, Misty decided to take up on the advice.

With her plan to obtain the knowledge of Draco Meteor failed, Latias had no choice but to face Lando's Dragonite again without much of an improvement. Although she had witness Latios defeat Dragonite on his very first encounter, Latias knew that she did not have the sheer power or talent that her brother had displayed, no matter how much she hated to admit. Besides, it is not that Latios won the match without the help of Draco Meteor, which reinforced Latias' belief that obtaining Draco Meteor was the key to victory. As the pre-arranged time to train drew near, Latias trekked up Mount Silver with her usual group of Ash, Brock and Misty, as Latios was trapped himself in his Soul Dew form with Bianca still relentlessly circling it like a Persian around a Rattata. Latias was not without a plan, however, as she learned from both her past experience and the duel between Latios and Dragonite, that by pairing Lando and Dragonite together, they will be next to impossible to defeat. But if she can separate Dragonite from Lando, by preventing her opponent from getting support from her trainer, Latias felt she will have higher chance at winning. The plan was not without risk, as separating Lando and Dragonite also meant Latias would not be able to be in contact with Ash also, but Latias was ready and willing to take the risk. This would be the true test of Latias' resolve to bring Ash his victory by herself.

"_A test of conviction, huh?" _ voiced Latias within her head as she thought of Latios' words from earlier.

Per usual Lando and his Dragonite were already present at the plateau waiting for Ash and his company to show. Latias could not help but notice the Former Champion was sporting a walking stick to help him walk. Upon seeing the vulnerable image of Lando, Latias felt a sense of guilt and remorse welling up inside her. It was out of his own benevolence that Lando agreed to train her, to make her a stronger Pokémon, but it was due to her that both Lando and his Pokémon suffered unnecessary injuries. On top of those, not only the Former Champion did not seek retribution but kept up with the training sessions without pause. Latias found a new level of respect and admiration for both Lando and Dragonite, and decided to thank them both properly when she has the opportunity to do so. But now, she needed to concentrate on the match ahead.

"Good to see you again, Ash and Latias," greeted Lando cheerfully, as if incident from two days ago did not happen, "As you can see, we are fit and ready to begin, are you Ash?"

Ash looked down at the ground ashamed; his eyes were full of guilt.

"I am truly sorry about the other day Lando," began Ash, "I accept full responsibility…"

Lando waved off the apology with in an airily manner.

"Oh that? Don't worry about it," said Lando, "It was an understandable behavior from Latios, who was just trying to protect his sibling."

"_But sir, even so…"_ chimed in Latias, moved by Lando's forgiveness, "_You were attacked and Dragonite was severely injured, even though he is my brother I will not-"_

"We had suffered injuries because we were unprepared," said Lando firmly, "Let that be a lesson for you two to be always prepared for any kind of situation in future. Besides, both Dragonite and I contributed to the escalation of the situation, we were no better than Latios at that time."

Seeing the young trainer and his Pokémon were about to argue further, Lando raised his hand to forestall them.

"Look, the important part is we are now fit to train and everyone has gathered on the training ground. Now, how long are you planning to stall your inevitable defeat for today, Ash?"

The last question seemed to jerk Ash and Latias out of their self-remorse and answered Lando at the same time in their own respective ways.

"Hey! Who said I am going to lose this time!? I learned quite a few tricks that will surely beat you today!"

"_I will win today's training match without fail!"_

Satisfied with the recovery of the duo, Lando nodded and smiled.

"Good, let's begin then, shall we?"

"_Lando, I wish to battle Dragonite alone, and in a different location," _announced Latias, drawing questioning looks from both Ash and Lando.

"You are going to battle Dragonite alone somewhere else? Why?" asked Ash, not understanding Latias' intention.

"It is highly unorthodox for Pokémon to battle unsupervised," frowned Lando, "Is there a reason for your request, Latias?"

"_My reasons are for my own knowing," _replied Latias evasively causing Lando's frown to deepen

"That will not be suffice for me to-"

Dragonite lifted her arm to stop any further words out of Lando and looked at her trainer intently. After a brief moment of silence where Lando and Dragonite exchanged their silent conversation, Lando nodded hesitantly.

"If that what you wish…"

Without a word, Lando's Dragonite lifted off from the ground and flew to the edge of the plateau while motioned Latias to follow. Ash and Latias chose to walk to the edge in order to exchange any last minute farewells.

"Are you really going to be OK with this?" asked Ash worriedly

"_Don't worry, my love, it's all part of my plan,"_ said Latias reassuringly, "_Today, I shall bring you the victory you need._" Seeing the worried expression of her trainer still, Latias added, "_Do you not believe in me, Ash?"_

"No, I believe in you, I have faith in your success," answered Ash, who was trying to put on a more cheerful expression.

Quickly checking around to see no one was looking, Latias gave Ash a quick peck on his lips before flying off after Dragonite.

Both dragons circled Mount Silver to find a suitable spot to stage a battle. Eventually, Dragonite spotted a valley with an open meadow and a lake somewhere on the other side of the Mount Silver where Ash's training ground was located. Latias followed Dragonite's descent to the valley and took note of her surroundings. Skills and experiences showed abundantly from Dragonite as the new training ground she chose was better than Latias could have hoped for. It was wide, open and secluded with various terrains that could be exploited for attack and defense. It was a perfect place for two Pokémon to battle it out to their heart content. Latias still find it hard to believe Dragonite, being so talented, is only three years older than her.

(So you have successfully separated me from Lando,) said Dragonite, interrupting Latias' thoughts, (what are you planning to do now?)

"_I had thought about what you have said to me so far,_" said Latias, "_Even though I still do not understand a lot of it, but this is my answer."_

(Oh? And what will that be?)

"_Ash would rather forfeit his life than betray the trust his Pokémon put in him and his own trust in them," _answered Latias, "_I will do anything, sacrifice anything to protect that trust."_

(I see that you have indeed learned something,) nodded Dragonite approvingly, (your head is not just full of blind obsession and winning anymore)

"_Oh but that is where you are wrong, Dragonite," _smiled Latias, "_Ash trusts me with his life and I will prove to him that his trust in me is not misplaced by defeat you, here!"_

(An ambitious resolve, a much better one than simply trying to earn the recognition of her trainer,) smiled Dragonite in return, (but unfortunately for you, that is still not enough!)

"_I shall be the judge of that!"_

With those words, Latias opened up the battle by sending out a wave of Psychic at Dragonite. As expected, just like she did on her previous two battles with Latias, Dragonite effortlessly knocked the attack away with a powerful sweep of her arm. Latias was ready though. As soon as she had launched her Psychic attack, Latias quickly turned and zoomed to the middle of the nearby lake.

(Not bad, not too bad at all,) commented Dragonite

Taking advantage of her levitation, Latias had denied her opponent any solid ground to launch any close range attacks, which were Dragonite's specialty. Since there was no solid ground around Latias, Dragonite had lost her number one gap closing ability of Extremespeed, thus giving a huge advantage to Latias and her elemental based attacks. But Dragonite was not to be denied for long. Trailing a streak of white light behind her, Dragonite homed in on Latias through air with her Aerial Ace. Latias quickly countered by releasing a great torrent of water using her Surf attack. The Surf compounded with the lake's water quickly turned into a great tidal wave that loomed over Dragonite, causing her to abandon her attack. Undaunted, Dragonite slashed the air with her powerful claws. The air pressure created by the Dragon Claw split the tidal wave into four columns, passing Dragonite harmlessly. Before the wave dissipated, its edges glowed blue and reassembled itself as Latias took control of the wave with her psychic power. Reversing its course, the tidal wave came roaring at Dragonite once more. Instead of turning around to deal with the reassembled wave, Dragonite charged forward at Latias with Aerial Ace once more.

"_Right where I want you to be_," said Latias to herself

Another torrent of water came jetting out of Latias as she created another Surf attack. Just like her first Surf, the second wave also quickly became a tidal wave that speed towards the approaching Dragonite. Trapped between the two waves, Latias' opponent had nowhere to go as the Surf attacks engulfed Dragonite like two giant hands closing in a clasp.

"_HA!_ _How do you like that?"_ proclaimed Latias triumphantly.

The raging surface of the lake calmed as the waves caused by Latias began to settle. Carefully looking around, Latias noticed there was no sign of Dragonite. A minute passed, then two, but Dragonite still did not appear. An eerie silence settled over the valley.

"_Dragonite…?_" called out Latias tentatively, "_Dragonite, are you there?_"

Latias was only answered with silence. A sigh of mountain wind playfully rippled the surface of the lake.

"_Dragonite!_" yelled Latias in full panic now, as she flew over to the spot where her opponent had disappeared, "_Dragonite! If you can hear me, please say something!_"

Without warning a pair of orange arms came bursting through from under the lake's surface and dragged Latias under with vice-like grip. Latias inhaled a mouthful of water as the shock from the cold mountain lake caused her to gasp. The sudden immersion into the lake disoriented Latias greatly as her brain struggled to process the overwhelming flood of sensations that were being sent by the body. With her lungs burning from the water, Latias thrashed about to shake off Dragonite as her body screamed at her desperately for air. Eventually, Latias felt the grip loosen and disappeared above her. Wasting no time, Latias burst through the lake's surface after a short swim; coughing and vomiting water out of her system. Feeling an ominous presence above her, Latias shook water from her eyes and looked up. There, floated Dragonite with her Hyper Beam already charged.

"_**Merda**__…"_

The resulting explosion after the release of Hyper Beam sent a huge pillar of water into the air and the concussion caused by the explosion created miniature tidal waves similar to those caused by Latias before to race towards the shores of the lake. Although the lake water greatly cushioned the impact of the Hyper Beam, stars still burst and flashed before Latias' eyes as the air in her lungs was pile-driven out of her. Powerless to do anything without air, Latias allowed herself to be helplessly washed ashore by the waves. Cold and disheveled, Latias curled herself into a ball while coughing and gasping for breath. Presently, Dragonite also slogged tiredly ashore, with bits and pieces of aquatic plants clinging to her scales.

(That's quite a seducing position you got there,) panted Dragonite jokingly, (Too bad, Ash is not around to see it though.)

Latias could only groan in reply as she sprawled out on the ground. Giving in to exhaustion, Dragonite followed suit right next to Latias.

"_You are very strong," _said Latias eventually, "_There must a reason behind your strength. Now I really want to know that reason."_

Dragonite hummed, watching clouds drift lazily across the sky while she thought about how to answer Latias.

(There isn't that much of a difference between you and me,) she answered finally, (It's just that my reason to fight was stronger than yours that is all.)

"_And what do you fight for?_"

(Pride,) said Dragonite slowly, (honor, discipline, amongst many other reasons out there…)

Latias scowled at the answer.

"_You sound a lot like my brother,"_ said Latias accusingly

(No, I am not like Latios,) denied Dragonite firmly

"_How are you not?!" _lashed out Latias, "_'Pride, honor, discipline', they are nothing but self-centered and arrogant way to approach everything!"_

Dragonite did not argue.

"_In the end, all you powerful Pokémon are the same; a self-serving spawns of a Bad Egg," _finished Latias bitterly.

(Perhaps you are right,) admitted Dragonite, (perhaps it is my pride that will not allow me to lose to you; my honor to keep battling when I realized I can't win against Latios, or perhaps it's my discipline that drove me to come back to this training session despite how much I detest it and find it ridiculous.)

Dragonite turned her head to look straight in Latias' eyes.

(But I assure you, Latios is not selfish like I am,) said Dragonite, (his reasons are different than my own.)

"_Then what does he fight for, if not pride? You've seen his attitude…"_

(Why, he fights for you!) revealed Dragonite, surprised that Latias did not know.

"_And how would you know?" _challenged Latias

Dragonite tapped the spot where Latios' Dragon Claw had punched through her scales.

(Because I felt it…here…) said Dragonite, (I felt his… fear… I felt his fear of not being able to shield you from harm, I felt his fear that I will be danger to your existence and I felt his fear that despite all his efforts, it is still not enough to protect you.) Dragonite smiled as she recalled something, (His fear was so strong that he felt it was necessary to kill me… And he would have too, if not for his change of heart at the very last second.)

Latias looked skeptical, but Dragonite continued on as if she didn't notice.

(You see, unlike his haughty exterior, your brother is actually pretty soft on the inside,) said Dragonite, her tone suddenly became soft and gentle, (But for you Latias, he was willing to do anything, to become anything… even if it means to become a killer.)

"_Why are you defending Latios?"_ asked Latias, annoyed at the fact that her opponent was speaking well of her brother, "_I imagined you of all beings, would be the one speaking well of Latios after all you and Lando had been through."_

(That's because I love him!) blurted Dragonite and froze as she realized what she had just spewed out.

Latias' eyes widen in shock and disbelief, her brain was failing to grasp the gravity of the situation.

(Ahem… er… I mean… What I meant to say was,) coughed Dragonite, as she tried to recover her mistake by adopting a serious tone, (I love his resolve and his unconditional love for his little sister, NOT his poffins, NOT his character and CERTAINLY NOT his stunning good looks!)

Latias' expression was still stuck in a dumbfounded look, but suddenly as if someone had flipped a switch, she sprang up from the ground where she was sprawling and floated away from Dragonite, who also got up from the ground.

"_Oh well…" _sighed Latias with surprising calmness, "_Looks like I am given more reasons to defeat you, Dragonite."_

(And… that's a good thing, right?) laughed Dragonite nervously.

Latias did not answer but continued to widen the distance between herself and Dragonite. Once she decided the distance was enough, she snapped around and confronted her opponent once again.

"_You said your 'pride' will not allow you to lose to me?_" asked Latias, adopting her ready stance, "_Well, with my conviction to protect Ash's trust in me, I am going to bend that 'pride' of yours!_"

(Very well,) smiled Dragonite, (upon that 'pride' I will swear, you will never succeed!)

"_As I've said before,_" smiled Latias in return and charged Dragonite at high speed, who in turn did the same, "_I shall be the judge of that!"_

(Then let this be…)

"… _A Test of Our Conviction!_"

The two Dragon Pokémon met at the middle in a titanic clash.

* * *

**niichan**- Or "Onii-chan" is a familiar term Japanese girls used to refer guys who are older than they are, but still relatively close to their age.

**Jama-da, ****Kieu-rou** [JA-ma-da key-AY-role]- A very rough way of saying "You are in my way/bothering me, get lost/disappear from my sight!"

**Merda**- The "S" word that rhymes with "hit"


	8. Chapter 8: Desperation

**Desperation**

Ash is getting worried. It had been hours since the Dragon Pokémon had left the training ground plateau, but there were still no sign of Latias or Dragonite. Now that the sun is beginning to set, Ash was getting even more fidgety as his Pokémon was way past the expected time to return. Although both his friends Brock and Misty faithfully waited with him on the plateau as long as they could, but when the day matured into late afternoon, both of them decided to retire first. Now, Ash is only left with Lando who shared his silent vigil.

"What you do think is taking them so long?" ask Ash, finally breaking the long preserved silence, "Do you think something might have happened to them?"

" I don't know, Ash," replied Lando, steeling his voice so as to not sound too worried while he continued to scan the sky for any sign of returning Dragon Pokémon, "Dragonite is a very skilled Pokémon, I am sure she will take great care of Latias even if something were to happen."

Ash could only hope the Former Champion was right as he once again joined Lando in watching the sky. But despite the reassurance from Lando, Ash simply could not shake the sense of uneasiness from his gut. As the last ray of daylight was about to disappear, two specks of shadows appeared over the horizon which clearly appeared to slowly make their way to the plateau. Ash's gut tightened with worry as he noticed the rather unsteady approach of the figures. Looking at the older trainer, Ash found out he was not alone with the worry as he saw Lando's brow was creased in a frown of concern.

"Good Groudon," breathed Lando in shock and horror as the figures became clear to sight, "What in the name of Lugia happened?!"

As the shadowy forms wobbled closer to the plateau, the fading daylight revealed a battered Dragonite supporting an even more battered Latias on her shoulder as the duo headed towards their trainers in dogged determination. Actually, rather than saying the "duo", it seemed more appropriate to describe the effort was made solely by Dragonite as Latias was, much to Ash's fear, horror and dismay, unconscious. Upon reaching the edge of the plateau, Dragonite abandoned all her grace and dignity as a Dragon Pokémon and immediately crashed forward in an untidy heap. Both Ash and Lando hurried forward to examine their respective Pokémon.

"Dragonite, what happened, explain yourself," demanded Lando, but Dragonite did not answer. Simply shaking her head tiredly, she hopped off to one side to tend to her own wounds.

"Latias…" whispered Ash, "Hey, Jewel…? If you can hear me, please…"

Ash reached forward to touch Latias, but immediately withdrew his hand as he felt he had just placed his hand on a hot stove. Nearby, Dragonite snarled and lashed her tail to prevent Lando from approaching, who was attempting to get closer to his Pokémon in order to treat her injuries. Taking her hint to be left alone, Lando turned his attention to Ash and Latias instead.

"She is burning up with fever," said Ash, his voice full of concern.

Lando reached out to touch Latias on her forehead, but just like Ash before him, Lando withdrew his hand quickly; accompanied by a sizzling sound.

"This is bad," said Lando urgently, "Latias needs to be sent to the Pokémon Center now!"

Ash did not need to be encouraged a second time as he took out Latias' pokeball to return her inside. But something strange happened. The red light from the pokeball enveloped Latias just like any regular returning process did, but it failed to draw Latias' form into the ball.

"This is bad," muttered Lando, "This is bad, this is much worse than I thought," Lando continued to mutter as he fished around his clothing for something.

"Why, what's going on?" asked Ash cautiously, fearing the answer.

"When a Pokémon cannot be returned properly into their designated pokeball," explained Lando as he produced a syringe from his pocket, "It means the life of the Pokémon is in grave danger,"

Lando jabbed the syringe into Latias' arm and quickly injected the content.

"There, that should hold back the fever slightly. Since you can't store her in a pokeball, we have to carry her down the mountain."

Ash nodded and quickly took off his jacket to form as sling around Latias. Heaving the Eon Pokémon horizontally across his back, Ash stumbled slightly as he was not entirely prepared for weight.

"Ash, you run ahead, I will carry Latias-" offered Lando

"No," insisted Ash, "No…," pointing to Dragonite, he continued, "You need to look after Dragonite, she is also hurt pretty badly too. I will manage one way or the other; I can't bear thinking your Pokémon get worse because you were too busy caring for mine. I am sure Latias would not want Dragonite's condition to worsen either."

After staring at the young trainer's determined expression for a brief moment, Lando nodded in agreement.

"Very well, make haste Ash, for you have tarried long enough. May the North Wind of Suicune give you the speed you need."

Without any further words, Ash jogged down the path leading down the mountain as fast as his burden would allow him.

The surrounding is dark now, for the sun had long set and the night's young moon was not enough to penetrate the canopy of leaves that arched over the mountain path. Due to his added weight and the lack of light, the journey down the mountain for Ash had became twice as dangerous but the young trainer made no effort to be cautious. Already the fever from Latias is scalding his back and shoulders to an unbearable level, but Ash gritted his teeth and continued to run down the mountain path like a man possessed. But fate seems to like playing cruel tricks on the trainer as Ash tripped on an unseen rock jutting out from the ground. With both of his hands supporting the weight of Latias on his back, Ash could not break his fall and landed face down in dirt.

"O-Ow…" he groaned, tasting blood from where he accidentally bit the inside of his lips. The young man tried to recover quickly to continue on his dash for Pokémon Center, but a sharp pain from his right ankle caused him to abandon the effort. Already his sprained ankle was starting to swell and throb angrily, as if it was blaming Ash for causing it to be injured. Struggling for breath, Ash made another effort to get up, but the combined weight of Latias and the pain in his ankle seemed very determined to keep him down.

"_Oh come on, Ash Ketchum!_", the young trainer thought angrily at himself, "_Get up! These pains are nothing! Get UP! Are you really going to let Latias die in your hands?"_

The last bit of thought provided the strength and motivation needed to overcome his disability. With a roar that would make any Arcanine jealous, Ash got to his feet and proceeded to hobbled down the mountain path towards civilization.

Inside Latias' mind a fierce storm raged. Caught in the middle, the little bit of Latias' consciousness felt like a rowboat caught at high sea during a hurricane. Confused and disjointed voices, images and sensations flitted and swirl around in manners that made no sense.

(NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?) demanded an image of Dragonite as she, Latias, raised both her arms towards the sky…

… "I am sorry, Jewel," came an apologetic tone of Ash's voice…

… Images of flaming rocks appeared out of the sky… the sense of smugness, pride, triumph…

…. "_You lack the conviction to carry it out successfully!_" said Latios sternly…

… "_I shall be the judge of that!_" screamed Latias in her own voice…

… A smile of her beloved Ash's face… A soft kiss under the tree… then…

Darkness, a heavy, enveloping and suffocating darkness… Why is it so dark in here?

… Broken trees, emptied lake, meteorites… meteorites… meteorites everywhere… Why? Who could have done all these?

(You really don't remember anything, do you, Latias?) coughed an image of Dragonite, sitting down with her back against a broken tree stump. A gob of crimson liquid came oozing out of the corner of her mouth…

… Tears formed in Latias' eyes… Why… ? Why is she crying…? And why is that Dragonite hurt…?

The flurry of visions and sounds continued their haunting, causing Latias to curl the image of her own consciousness into a defensive ball.

"_I am sorry, Ash_" sobbed Latias pitifully, "_I am so sorry…_ _I don't deserve to be loved by you…_"

Back at the Pokémon Center, Brock, Misty and Bianca were sitting in the lobby area along with rest of Ash's Pokémon, whom he had released out of their pokeballs two days ago, waited worriedly for any news of Ash or Latias. Amongst them the one who was most worried was perhaps, Ash's Pikachu as he chose not to follow Ash up Mount Silver for the day because he thought it was just another regular training for his trainer and his new friend, Latias. But of all days for something to go wrong, it just has to be the day the little electric Pokémon was not by his old friend's side and Pikachu could not forgive himself over that fact.

"Stop worrying so much, Pikachu," comforted Misty, as she stroked the drooping ears of the yellow mouse Pokémon, "I am sure Ash and Latias are just working extra hard today, which is why they are late."

"Pika…" said Pikachu, hoping against hope that Ash's red-headed friend was correct.

Quite sometime after the short conversation, just when Ash's friends were about to give up and retire to their dormitory rooms, the automatic front doors of the Pokémon Center hissed opened. Every being in the lobby looked over expectantly and all of them recoiled in horror without exception as a battered and bruised Ash with a severely wounded Latias came toppling through the opened door way. Wasting no time, the group in the lobby, followed by Nurse Joy and two of her Chansey assistants, rushed forward to check on the trainer and his Pokémon.

"Please…help…" croaked Ash before, he too, had passed out completely.

When Ash awoke in a blur, he found himself lying comfortably in a downy bed with a white blanket draped loosely across his middle. His vision soon focused into an image of Pikachu's concerned expression leaning over his face. Turning his head slightly to look out of the window, Ash found out he was not out cold for that long as the environment outside of the window was still shrouded in darkness.

"Pi, Pika pi!" said Pikachu in relief from his perch located on top of the headboard of Ash's bed.

{There we go, you are all set,} smiled a Chansey after she inputted some information into her data-pad, {please stay in your infirmary until you are confirmed for discharge.}

The advice was either not understood or ignored as Ash bolted up from his resting position and proceeded to throw off his blanket.

{Oh no! Please don't do that!} exclaimed the Chansey in distress as she rush forward and attempted to stop Ash from leaving.

Pushing aside the Nurse Pokémon easily, Ash wrenched opened his room's door and hurried towards Pokémon recovery section of the Pokémon Center.

"Pika, Pi!" shouted Pikachu as he chased after his best friend.

"_Jewel, I am on my way," _thought Ash urgently, "_Please, oh please be okay…"_

Waiting outside of the recovery room was rest of Ash's group minus Latios, who seemed strangely missing despite the fact that the news of Latias' injury had already spread throughout the Pokémon Center. Everyone in the group offered their condolences and asked about the condition of his body. Ash answered as simply as he could because he was in mood to hold conversations. When Nurse Joy stepped out of the recovery room section announcing Latias was stable enough to be visited, Ash wasted no time to step towards the door. His friends made an attempted to join him but Ash stopped them, claiming that he wanted to see Latias alone. Respecting his wish, the group retreated to the lobby. Entering the recovery section, Ash found out that there were actually more rooms behind the initial door which he had passed through. Each of the rooms featured a large glass window, allowing Nurse Joy and visitors to identify the occupant of a particular room. A creaking sound caused Ash to turn around and see his best friend, Pikachu, was looking back at him with a mixed expression of concern and apprehension. Ash smiled and motioned the yellow Pokémon to join him. After all, Pikachu is his oldest and best friend; he can allow Pikachu to be an exception. Together, Ash and Pikachu searched for Latias' room, which did not take long as her room was located near the entrance to the Pokémon recovery section. Looking inside, Ash saw Latias was attached to many advanced-looking machines, which beeped in peaceful steadiness. Latias seemed to be sleeping soundly.

"Jewel…" said Ash in a soft voice, touching the glass window of Latias' room. Doing so Ash felt like he could somehow transfer his vitality to her.

A sudden chill crept up his spine as Ash felt a suffocating presence from behind him. The intensity and weight exerted on him threaten to bring him to his knees and constricted his lungs. A drop of cold sweat rolled down the side of his face as Ash slowly turned around to confront his tormentor. The sight that greeted him had plunged Ash into a sea of dread, as it revealed to be none other than Latios. With eyes ablaze, body tense and claws glimmering, Latios looked like a dreaded avenger who was about to pass his judgment. Just by looking at the terrifying blue Dragon Pokémon in front of him caused Ash to sneak a slow and cautious glance towards to the door which separated him from the rest of the Pokémon Center. Ash's stealthy glance could not evade Latios' careful observation and the Eon Pokémon followed the glance with his eyes. An audible click of the locking mechanism announced the sealing of Ash's fate.

"La…Latios," stammered Ash nervously, "Hey, when did you get in here? I thought I said I want to be alone…"

"_I am here to take my sister home,"_ said Latios, overwriting the young trainer's words with freezing intensity, "_And you WILL cooperate, Ash Ketchum…_"

The tone of Latios voice caused Ash to automatically slap at his belt, but to his dismay he did not feel any pokeball there except for Latias'.

"_You've left them, remember? Two days ago,"_ reminded Latios, his tone, mocking, "_You left them… JUST LIKE YOU LEFT LATIAS TO DANGER!" _finished Latios with a roar.

"I didn't leave her to danger!" protested Ash, "Latias wanted this herself, she told to me trust her; to believe in her, and that is what I did!"

"_You call that your excuse_?" huffed Latios mockingly, "_Come on, Ash, you look like you are not even trying…"_

"Think of it however you want!" countered Ash, "But Latias is staying with me; I am going to make sure she recovers safely!"

Latios' eyes turned blue and his feathers from all over his body stood up dangerously.

"_I don't recall giving you a choice in the matter,"_ said Latios, his voice lowered to a growl.

"Pi! Pikachu!" cried the yellow Pokémon, jumping in between his trainer and the blue Eon Pokémon. Pikachu's cheek began to crackle with electricity as he noticed Latios' body was shimmered and flickered from reflected light. Lifting a claw, Latios pointed at Pikachu.

"_You are in my way," _said Latios in low voice, "_Get lost!"_

Ash screamed his protest in horror as he saw his best friend flew across the length of the main recovery room corridor at high speed and slammed into a wall with a dull thud. Pikachu did not stand a chance; the yellow mouse Pokémon was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

"You will pay for that," threatened Ash in a growl.

Latios disagreed. With a wave of his arm, Latios threw Ash across the room in opposite direction of Pikachu. Stars exploded behind his eyes as Ash hit the wall head first. Groaning in pain, the young trainer struggled to keep the Eon Pokémon in focus. Quickly adopting the battle training he had received from Lando, Ash tried to process his current situation calmly and rapidly.

"_I did not hear Latios enter the room,_" thought Ash, "_Which means he was already in here before me._"

Remembering his experience in Altomare, Ash knew Latios also possessed the same ability as Latias to turn himself invisible. Therefore, Ash deduced that it was not hard for Latios to sneak into the recovery section unnoticed before him and set up the ambush. The question, then, was why. A Pokémon of Latios' caliber could have easily snuck Latias out of the Pokémon Center, or if necessary, fought his way out if he chose to. So why, did Latios chose to ambush the young man instead of simply take Latias away? Ash raked hard with his brain and soon the answer dawned on him. Of course! His Pokédex! His Pokédex records and verifies every Pokémon acquisition he had made and sends them to Professor Oak's central computer. When a Trainer decides to release their Pokémon, they will erase their ownership entry from their Pokédex; confirming the Pokémon as released to wild. If Ash did not erase Latias' entry, the central computer will continue to register Latias as his Pokémon; therefore he will still be able to claim ownership of her, regardless of where or how far she goes.

Trying to buy some time, Ash took out his Pokédex from inside his jacket as slowly as he could. His guess was confirmed as Latios momentarily froze with a startled expression.

"Why are you trying to take Latias away from me?" asked Ash, waving his Pokédex to and fro to keep Latios' attention.

"_You've broken you promise to me, that is why,_" said Latios, giving his head a quick shake to keep his focus off the Pokédex. "_You have failed to protect her from harm._"

"But, like I said before, Latias-"

"_THEN YOU SHOULD HAD STOPPED HER!"_ thundered Latios, "_With your life, if you have to!_"

"She told me to believe in her!" Ash countered with same intensity, "I kept my word of having faith in my Pokémon!"

Seeing Latios' face contorted with rage, Ash quickly added to forestall further arguments.

"Look, I am not saying I am not responsible for what happened to Latias. I am saying I can work through this situation. I can still take good care of Latias…"

"_Wrong_…" said Latios flatly, "_I cannot allow Latias to be with you any longer, she will come home with me, to Altomare, where she will truly be safe… under MY care."_

"Well I am not going to give up Latias," said Ash angrily, "And you can't make me!"

"_Wrong again,_" said Latios, his glowing blue eyes intensified.

Ash felt a crushing pressure on the side of his temples as if his head was suddenly being gripped by the relentless tentacles of an Octillery. Ash's hand began to jerk involuntary as Latios forced his way into his mind, threatening to take complete control of his body. Ash felt detached as his fingers flipped opened the Pokédex and accessed the ownership entries.

"NO!" Ash screamed in defiance as he summoned forth a surge of his own will and flung the Pokédex down hard on the ground. The fragile computer shattered into a million pieces.

"_YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?_"

Latios zoomed forward and began to desperately gather up the wreckage of the Pokédex, as if by doing so; he can revive the little computer. Seeing it was a futile effort, Latios sat down hard on the ground and began to weep.

"Now… Latias shall remain mine…" hissed Ash with strange satisfaction.

The tone made Ash cringe a bit on the inside.

"_Woah…Woah! What was that?_" Ash admonished himself, "_That wasn't like me at all!_"

Ash reminded himself not to get too excited and aggravate the situation further, he sort to find a way to reconciliation with the weeping Latios in front of him.

"Latios… Latios please listen to me," said Ash as he tried to comfort the crying Dragon Pokémon, "Look, I am sorry about what just happened, but what's done is done. Let's work together to help Latias recover as quickly as possible. What do you say?"

Latios ignored the young trainer as tears continued to roll from his eyes. The young and hot-headed trainer committed the mistake of his life as he had just lost all his patience towards Latios.

"Look here Latios," he said angrily, "the Pokédex is smashed, there is no way I can release Latias now, so either you can work with me or-"

"_No…" _said Latios slowly, his tone was cold and sharp like the peak of Mount Silver. Getting up, Latios wiped away his tears and turned away from Ash, "_There is… one other way…_"

Ash observed the blue Eon Pokémon nervously as Latios clenched and unclenched his claws as if he was trying to prepare himself for a difficult decision.

"_If the owner of that Pokédex ceases to EXIST anymore… then…_"

Latios snapped his head around and directed his murderous gaze at Ash. The blood from Ash's face drained completely as he realized what Latios was about to do. Edging away from the Eon Pokémon, Ash began to stammer nervously.

"W..w…wait, La..L…Latios, surely you don't mean…?"

Latios turned and faced Ash in proper now as he slowly stalked towards the young trainer like an experience predator who had just corned his prey.

"_It wasn't supposed to end like this, Ash,_" said Latios sadly, "_But you have given me no other choice. I simply cannot entrust my sister with such irresponsible Trainer._"

"Latios please calm down," Ash began to talk quickly now, "Please, let's talk about the situation… Put your claws away… Think about it, we can resolve the conflict between us peacefully. Don't be like this, okay?"

Ash continued to back away from the approaching Latios, but even without looking Ash knew the places he can retreat were running out fast.

"Latios listen to me. This is not like you. You don't want to do this," words came rushing out of the young trainer as his situation became more desperate, "You say everything is my fault? Fine. It's my fault that I fell in love with Latias. It's my fault to force this unconventional relationship on her. It's my fault that I wasn't able to make her happy. It's my fault that she had suffered so much. It's my fault that she was hurt like this. It's my fault…"

"_You know, Ash…_" said Latios with the same sad tone as before, "_For a short time, I really liked you. The first time we met, you were this young, ambitious and lively Pokémon Trainer who has captured my sister's heart. And for a brief moment, I WISHED to have someone like you as my little brother…"_

A single tear rolled down Latios' cheek. Ash had backed himself into a corner now, he has no more place to run. This will be the end.

"_Up until this morning, I thought that wish MIGHT come true, despite you being a human. And if I work hard enough, maybe just MAYBE I can get myself pass that fact and get the brother I've always wanted…_"

Latios had stopped right in front of Ash now; he could see the young trainer's eyes were filled with tears.

"Don't do it, Latios…" pleaded Ash desperately, "Please… not like this… not like this…"

Latios raised his arm high into the air, with claws gleaming from the reflected ceiling light.

"_But… I…just… can't…forgive you anymore…!_"

Ash was weeping openly now, his tearful vision was dominated by the blue Eon Dragon Pokémon poised to strike.

"Latios… P…Please…"

Latios' last whisper echoed in Ash's mind like what seemed to be an eternity.

"… _For my little sister…!_"

The Dragon Claw slashed down in a powerful downward strike…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your continued support! With Latios concluding Chapter 8 with his claws, I would like every readers to offer what they think about the developments so far. Your reviews are very, and I will say it again, VERY important to me, as they not only inspire and motivate me to write, but also remind me of what I had been neglecting for the story. For those who are truly lazy and still not convinced, allow me to point out this: If I can write about four thousand words per week for the chapters, I am sure you can write about ten in one minute :P

Ah, I am just kidding! Regardless if you review or not, please do enjoy my story and don't forget to follow for regular updates when fresh chapters are posted. Thank You!


	9. Chapter 9: Crossroad of Choices

**Author's Note: This Chapter is dedicated to my last computer, whose untimely death had cause the loss of all the progress on the Chapters I had been working on for this story so far. More importantly, I also lost all my progress on two major university project that are due on November 20th, which means there will be severe delay with story updates until pass that date. Not wanting my readers to wait too long, I tried to squeeze Chapter 9 out, but I am not sure if my story quality had taken a hit. If it did, my apologies, I will make it up on Chapter 10.  
**

**R.I.P. Asus G50VT Laptop**

**June 2009 - November 2012  
**

**At least give me a warning before you breakdown, jerk!  
**

* * *

**Cross Road of Choices**

Deep within Latias' consciousness, the raging storm of images, emotions and sensations had finally calmed. Uncurling herself from a defensive ball, Latias looked around gingerly at her desolate mindscape. Her surrounding was nothing but a shroud of gray mist and a light drizzle that served to accentuate the emptiness. Other than the soft pattering of the drizzle, the inside of Latias' mind was filled with a grave-like silence. Feeling uneasy for remaining still, the image of Latias' consciousness decided to explore her mist-filled surroundings. Latias knew she was somehow trapped in a remote corner of her mind, but she did not fully understand how she got there in the first place. The fragments of images and sound from earlier only served to disorient her more. Wandering the empty desolation that is now her mind for quite some time, Latias began to feel increasingly desperate as her surrounding scenery continued to remain the same. Just as Latias was about to yell out with frustration, a voice as old as the Eon itself, was carried to her by a gust of wind.

_Those whose memories fade seek to carve them in their hearts…_

"_What?! Who goes there?"_ asked Latias, startled by the sudden breaking of silence.

The question was ignored as the oppressing silence once again settled within Latias' mind. Looking around suspiciously Latias decided to search for further clues about her surrounding and her purpose in such a place. For a second time, the wind gusted, carrying the same message.

_Those whose memories fade seek to carve them in their hearts…_

This time, Latias was ready.

"_Who are you? What memories are you talking about?"_

As if in response, the mist around her came to life with activities…

… Images of Ash running down a mountain path in the dark…

… Ash in pain with his ankle swollen…

… A blurred vision of the front entrance of Pokémon Center…

… Ash lying in an infirmary bed; he seemed to be muttering about something in his sleep…

"_Stop!" _Latias cried out in distress, "_Who are you? Why are you showing me these images?"_

The voice answered her via another gust of wind.

_All dreams are but another reality. Never forget…_

"_Dream? Reality? I don't understand," _said Latias, _"Just who you are anyway? Why are you doing this to me?"_

An image of Ash Ketchum appeared in front of Latias, stopping her barrage of questions.

"_Ash!_" exclaimed Latias in relief, "_Thank the Eon, it is you! Where have you been? I missed you so much!_"

The young trainer was smiling at Latias, but there was something wrong with his smile. Instead of his usual confidence, Ash was smiling at Latias with an expression of sorrow, regret and guilt; as if he was trying to apologize to her but for some reason, he was unable to get his words out.

"_What is it, my love?_" asked Latias as she reached forward to touch her melancholy lover. She let out a yelp of surprise as her hands grabbed thin air where Ash's body should be.

"_Wh…What…?_"

The image of Ash seemed not to notice, but instead, motioned Latias to follow him. Feeling more afraid than curious, Latias decided to follow her lover's apparition at a distance. As Ash led her through the gray mist, Latias noticed that her surroundings were getting brighter and clearer as the mist started to fade away. The mist was not the only thing fading away; however, as with each clearing of the mist, the image of Ash grew fainter. It was not until too late, Latias noticed this phenomenon and when she rushed forward to somehow stop Ash's ghost from disappearing all together, she found herself standing in the middle of a cemetery.

"_This is the Lavender Town Cemetery_," whispered Latias to herself, followed by a startled reaction for recognizing the place.

Latias had neither seen nor heard of Lavender Town in her life, let alone knowing the town's small cemetery. But for some reasons that cannot be explained she knew exactly where she was. After checking her surroundings, Latias noticed there was a funeral in progress on the other side of the graveyard. Approaching the crowd gathered in front of three open graves slowly, Latias was shocked that she recognized several faces within the congregation. Bianca, Brock, Misty, even Lorenzo were there, clad in solemn attires, along with a middle-aged woman and an elderly man in white lab coat. The woman was crying her eyes out into a handkerchief, while the elderly man was muttering words of comfort into her ear. A piece of newspaper tumbled across Latias' field of vision and she managed to catch a glimpse of the headline that reported a tragedy in Silver Town before it was carried away by the wind.

"_No it can't be… it can't be… it can't be…_" muttered Latias to herself desperately, while continuing to repeat that little phrase as she frantically closed her distance to the crowd. As she pushed her ways through the spectral crowd to the front of the funeral, Latias let out a long, keening howl of despair that went unnoticed by the ghostly images, as the image of the grave marker she saw was engraved with:

_In loving memories of Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town,_

_A dream unfulfilled but not forgotten,_

_May his dream be fulfilled in another reality._

"_No… No…!" _groan Latias who is now having troubles organizing her thoughts, "_This isn't real, this can't be real!"_

"_Oh, but it is real!"_ said a mocking voice near her.

The funeral apparitions disappeared around Latias except for the three opened graves, and were replaced by a single image of a Latias. Reeling from the disorientation brought by looking at a splitting image of herself, the real Latias struggled to keep her new adversary in focus. Upon a closer inspection, however, revealed that the Latias apparition featured a distinct black sclera, thus combined with her golden iris, gave her eyes an eerie feel.

"_Who are you?_" asked Latias, a phrase she found herself repeating a lot since the beginning for this strange experience.

"_Now that's a silly question,"_ chuckled the apparition, "_Can't you tell by looking? I am you! Oh, and before you go on raving about how I am not real or something, why don't you take a careful look at the grave markers next to you?"_

Latias did as she was told, and to her immense disbelief, the markers on either side of Ash's were engraved with names of the Eon Twins. There were even two Pokémon shaped caskets nestled in the bowels of both graves. It became apparent to Latias that Ash was not the only victim in the tragedy of Silver Town.

"_How did this happen? No… no… this can't be true… Who could have done all these_?" moaned Latias in anguish.

A peal of maniacal cackle rang throughout the mindscape.

"_You really have no idea, do you?_" taunted Ghost Latias, as she stared down her real counterpart, "_All these…_" here Ghost Latias made a general waving motion her one of her arms, _"… memories are happening because YOU were the cause_."

The apparition slowly and deliberately approached the fear-bound Latias, while whispering in a chilling voice.

"_After you had passed out due to your own incompetence_," here, Ghost Latias adopted a sarcastic tone, "_our 'dear brother' went on his usual 'rescue-my-sister' mission. It turned out, your beloved Ash somehow got himself killed and when you found out… Let's just say, you weren't appreciative of Latios' efforts_." concluded the apparition with another peal of laughter.

Catching the hostile glare her real counterpart was giving, Ghost Latias returned the gaze with equal intensity.

"_Oh, don't look at me like that_," chided Ghost Latias, "_It's not my fault you don't remember anything. Although, you should've remembered your own demise: The way you literally detonated with anger and grief? It was priceless…_"

"_No!_" Latias shouted over her apparition's taunts, "_You lie! All of these are lies! This is just a bad dream and you are nothing but a figment of my imagination!_"

"_What you see as a dream is now your reality_," countered Ghost Latias, "_What you had known as your reality is now nothing more than a memory and a dream!_"

Screwing her eyes shut, Latias shook her head violently.

"_Stop…_" cried Latias, "_I don't want to hear it! Dreams, memories and realities, I don't understand any of them anymore!_"

"…_And you never did to begin with, my foolish and naïve little sister_," said a familiar sounding voice of Latios.

Latias felt she was being hugged from behind and with it, felt a deathly chill course down her spine, causing her to snap open her eyes in shock. Latias was no longer in Lavender Town now as her surroundings had shifted once more. Everything around her was pitch-black, except for an image of Latios, who was glowing with ghostly aura. The first apparition of Latias with black sclera was nowhere to be seen.

"_But not to worry, I am here now_," whispered Latios, gently, almost lovingly, into his sister's ear, "_I am going to take real good care of you…_"

The cold was giving Latias difficulty to breathe. She struggled to break her brother's death embrace, but Latios tightened his arms, causing Latias to flinch in pain.

"_You don't know how happy I am to see you here_," continued Latios as if he was oblivious to his sister's futile struggle, "_Finally, after all these time, you have come to your sense enough to ask me for protection._"

"_I… don't need… I am not here for your help_," croaked Latias, the cold from her brother's embrace and the crushing pain was making it hard for her to speak.

"_Shh… shh…_" consoled Latios, "_It's alright, I know you are still scared; it is still too dangerous here. This is why you are still spouting nonsense._"

Gripping Latias tightly in his embrace, the ghostly Latios began to slowly sink into the depth of the darkness.

"_Don't worry too much though, Latias. You will be safe from harm at where we are going. There, I will always be able to look after you… for all eternality…_"

"_No… I don't… I don't want to go…_" protested Latias weakly as part of her body was already disappearing into the dark. Gathering up her remaining strength, Latias redoubled her effort to free herself, but the struggle was just as futile as before. In fact, the more she struggled, the faster Latias sank into the darkness. As the darkness has buried past her chest, Latias focused what was left of her mental and physical energy into one last desperate gamble.

"_Ash!_" Latias' call echoed loudly throughout the dark emptiness, "_Somebody, anybody, please help!_"

Just as Latias only had top half of her neck out of the darkness and everything seemed lost, a golden flash of fire erupted overhead, chasing away the darkness like an incoming high tides of the sea. An angelic Pokémon hand appeared out of the golden light, which Latias seized without hesitation. As she did, Latias felt herself lifted out of the darkness as if she weighed no more than a newborn Pichu, into an area full of heavenly light. Doubling over, Latias coughed and gasped as the warmth of her body started to return.

"_Thank you for saving me_," said Latias in between the gasps.

"There is no need to thank me, my child," replied her rescuer, "It was simply an obvious and appropriate thing for me to do."

Looking up, Latias was surprised to see she was looking at yet another Latias, but this one was unlike the twisted apparition before, as the newcomer look solid and real, compared to the ghostly images Latias had experienced thus far. Just by plain observation, Latias can tell the newcomer is a fully matured adult as she was slightly larger than Latios, her body features are more defined; her face was noble, kind and slightly more angular than Latias'. The adult Latias' golden eyes glowed softly with kindness; one look into those eyes, any being in the world could had felt the warmth radiate from those eyes. Latias could not help but feel a pang of envy as she openly stared.

"How do you feel, Jewel?" asked the adult Latias with concern, "I hope I was not too late."

"_I… I am fine… I guess,_" stammered Jewel telepathically. Realizing something, Jewel gave a startled squeak and zoomed backward away from the adult Latias.

"_You… You can talk! Like the humans! And… and you know my personal name!_"

The adult Latias smiled apologetically at Jewel.

"Ah, pardon me… It is one of my talents that seemed to turn into a curse," switching to telepathy, "_Would you rather have me communicate in this way?_"

"_No, no, talking is fine… it's just… I've never seen a Pokémon using human speech before… so… I thought,_" Jewel's words trailed off in embarrassment, "_you are just another figment of my imagination… Sorry," _she added sheepishly at the end.

The adult Latias' face lightened up with an amused smile.

"There is no need for apologies; it's only natural to feel surprised and cautious when confronted with unfamiliar elements of the world. But I can assure you, I am quite real and independent of your mind."

"_If you are not part of my mind, then how did you know my name?_"

Excited twinkles sparkled from the adult Latias' eyes.

"That is because Jewel, I am your…" she stopped suddenly, the twinkles were gone and the adult Latias lowered her head in shame, "Actually, never mind, I don't have the right to call myself that…"

Jewel looked at her older counterpart with much curiosity. She wanted to know what the adult Latias was trying to say, but at the same time she was too afraid and shy to press for an answer. Looking at Jewel, the adult Latias smiled hesitantly as she tries to regain her confidence, and Jewel returned the smile with a warm one of her own to give encouragement to her older counterpart.

"My name is Rosabella, it's a name given to me by someone whom I treasure," began Rosabella nervously, "Well… I thought… since I know your personal name, it is only fair that I give you mine…"

"_Rosabella… 'beautiful rose…'_" commented Jewel appreciatively, "_A very fitting name for someone as beautiful as you._"

"Really?" Rosabella's face revitalized with confidence, spread in a cheerful smile like a Sunflora under a mid-summer sun. "Thank you, Jewel, I was afraid that you might not approve of it."

Take advantage of the lull in the conversation, Jewel carefully surveyed the area she is in. Both Latias seemed to be suspended in a universe of golden light; a light so pure and bright that it appeared almost white. Amongst the light, there were spots, swirls and ribbons of other colored lights from all spectrum of the rainbow. The patterns of light that is now her surroundings reminded Jewel of the interior of a Soul Dew.

"_What is this place?_" asked Jewel, mystified by the brilliant display of lights around her, "_Is this part of my own mind_?"

"It is, but at the same time, it is not," answered Rosabella, "As this place is the very boundary between Dreams and Reality; a crossroad where the two realms intersect."

"_So what are we doing here? Why am I brought to such a place?"_

Instead of answering the question directly, Rosabella changed the subject of the conversation.

"Jewel, do you know the secret of our species and the mysteries of your golden eyes?"

Jewel shook her head. Ever since the moment she hatched Jewel did not give much thought of her golden eyes. Although there were quite a few times she wondered why her twin brother had different eyes than hers, Jewel eventually stopped pursuing for answer and simply accepted the fact that she was different.

"The golden eyes are a sign of immense potential and power, which some sees as a gift while others see it as a curse," explained Rosabella, "And they are only passed down through the females of our species. The inheritance of golden eyes is few and far in between generations and should a Latias is to hatch with golden eyes, she would immediately be celebrated and revered by her clan."

"_What is so tremendous about their potentials that those with golden eyes deserve such honors?_" asked Jewel. For certain, SHE didn't feel like having any kind of massive dormant powers lying within her.

"Those with golden eyes are blessed with keen mastery over psychic manipulation. They are able to cross the boundaries of Dream and Reality by projecting what is in their mind out into the reality of their world; effectively shape their surroundings to their likings."

"_You mean I have the power to shape the world however I want_?" whispered Jewel in awe. A sudden thrill of excitement coursed through her body. If she is able to awaken her latent power, then all her dreams; all her desires, she can make them all come true! She will be mistress of the world! "_Is it really true that Latias with golden eyes can make whatever in their minds comes true? It sounds so incredible!"_

"Be careful with what you are thinking," warned Rosabella, her tone suddenly became harsh and severe, "Not only there are limitations to what can be manipulated, you expose yourself to severe risk when you reveal your hidden power to the public. In the past, powerful Latias had flaunted their power recklessly, causing others without such power to suffer at their mercy. Pretty soon, our clans were hunted down by both humans and Pokémon, forcing the few that were left into hiding. Overtime, our very existence and mysteries passed into legends, and there they remained."

Jewel was crestfallen, but she understood the points behind Rosabella's warning. Even if Jewel was to unlock her hidden power and able to manipulate her world, she was not sure if Ash or his friends will not suffer from any unforeseen consequences. Now Jewel understands why her golden eyes are seen as both a gift and a curse. If her powers were used correctly, she can make the world a better place for everyone, but if she abuses her power, she can destroy the lives and hope of those she loves.

"_Will you be able to teach me the power to alter the world?_" Jewel asked cautiously as she was unsure of how the older Latias would react. To her surprise, Rosabella nodded readily.

"It was my reason to bring you here, Jewel," said the adult red Eon Pokémon, "I sensed there was a unfinished business within you when you called for help. I will teach you how to unlock your dormant power within you, so that you can fulfill your business."

"_I appreciate everything you have done for me, Rosabella_," said Jewel gratefully, _"But why do you go such lengths to aid me?_"

"Because that is what family is for, my child," replied Rosabella mysteriously.

Jewel did not understand the meaning behind Rosabella's words, but before she can ask for an explanation, Rosabella had already started the lesson.

"…Now, even though the reality is manipulated by the image of the mind, the construction of such image come from your heart. In other words, the manipulation of Dream and Reality may be a direct test of your power, but first, you must believe in the result's success, before you attempt to change your reality."

"_I am not sure if I understand…" _said Jewel.

"Then let's apply it to a real example," said Rosabella patiently, "Suppose you were relaxing in a forest and suddenly you witness a Pidgey's nest dislodge from a nearby tree by a strong gust of wind. You want to save the nest; therefore you first believe in yourself that you will successfully save the nest by teleporting it next to you unharmed. In your mind, your construct what the world around you will look like with the nest besides you. Then infusing that image with your psychic power, you project that image into reality. If you are successful, the Dream and the world will merge, thus becoming a new reality."

"_That sounds like a very difficult process, considering I have to achieve everything before the nest hit the ground_," said Jewel timidly. It was obvious that she was intimated by the complexity of manipulating the flow of reality.

"Speed and accuracy will come with experience," smiled Rosabella, "Although I will admit , reality manipulation is too impractical for mundane task like saving a Pidgey's nest or avoid incoming attacks," here Rosabella blushed," but it was my first successful manipulation, so…" Rosabella's voice trailed off as her face redden some more.

"_What happens if you are not successful_?" asked Jewel

The expression of Rosabella turned grave and somber.

"Now, changing your world is a very serious endeavor, therefore it comes with heavy consequences should you fail. Depending on what is manipulated, the result of a failure can be as benign as a hole in the ground, a broken branch, a distorted space, or a bit more serious; a person or Pokémon without their limbs, head or other body parts. Finally, the ultimate punishment is being trapped in between the boundaries of Dream and Reality, doomed to wander between the real and unreal for all eternality."

"_Just like you?"_

"Just like me…" answered Rosabella sadly.

"_How did you get trapped here?" _asked Jewel, suddenly curious about just how long the older Latias had been wandering the empty realm between the Dream and Reality. "_Why didn't you try to find your way back?_"

"My physical body on the reality realm expired the moment my attempt at manipulation failed. Without a physical body I have no base to return to. Neither was I ready to move on into the Oblivion. So I stayed, months turned to years, years turned to decades, but still I stayed because I felt that I must."

"_Do you want to go back_?" asked Jewel, as suddenly for some reason, she felt sorry for the older Eon Pokémon and wanted to do everything in her power to help. For the second time, Jewel was surprised by Rosabella's response.

"Like I've said, I no longer have a body to return to. Even if I do, I will still choose to stay in atonement for the crime I had committed." answered Rosabella shaking her head sadly, tears rolling down her angular cheek.

Although Jewel was extremely curious of what Rosabella had done in order to deserve such harsh punishment, Jewel decided to let the conversation lapse into silence as she noticed the sorrow radiating from Rosabella. After a few minutes of silence as both Eon Pokémon were lost within their thoughts, Rosabella broke the fragile silence.

"Do you wish to start practicing with your hidden power now?"

Jewel nodded her head enthusiastically, grateful that she was finally given something to do.

"That's good, now remember what I've said earlier and concentrate with your heart…"

Step by step Rosabella coached Jewel through various steps of reality manipulation. Unlike Lando, Rosabella's teachings were easier to understand as she always described the process as simply as possible. It was as if Rosabella understood Jewel's comprehension level perfectly and matched her usage of words accordingly. Even with Rosabella's instruction, Jewel struggled quite a bit to grasp her inner power. After a while, Jewel was finally able to focus both her mind and her heart, and began to create the image of reality she wanted. The construction of her heart's image was not what she expected, for unlike the process of finding her hidden power, her heart's image flowed and blossomed without any difficulty. In fact, Jewel was not trying to construct her own image at all. Behind her closed eyes, colors, shapes, lines, patterns, lights and shadows whirled and danced as they rapidly formed into a perfect replication of a Pokémon Center's interior. Jewel's heart told her the image was ready. Infusing the image with psychic power she had gathered through Rosabella's instruction, Jewel release her latent ability with a mighty yell. Golden aura pulsated from Jewel and tore open the fabric of the realm around her, forming a circular portal to the realm which Jewel had created with her Dream.

"This… is… unbelievable," breathed Rosabella in awe, "The Total Realm Creation… on your first try…"

"_What… What is that?" _stammered Jewel as she was scared out of her wits that she had once again messed up badly.

"That, my child, is the highest form of reality manipulation," explained Rosabella, her eyes still glued to the circular portal, "The Total Realm Creation, instead of simply altering the details of the user's reality, it completely re-write what is real and unreal… That is the gateway to true alternate reality."

Jewel felt a strong compulsion that drew her towards the entrance to the portal, but as she started forward towards it, Rosabella grabbed her arm so tightly that Jewel winced in pain.

"Wait, what you are doing?" asked Rosabella sharply, "You can't go there, it's too dangerous! You don't know if that realm is even created properly or if you will successfully travel to it! Besides, once you are trapped in your Dream realm, you can never return! Jewel, please listen to me…!"

Jewel barely heard Rosabella's warning, as images and sounds of Ash, Latios and Pikachu whirled around the behind her eyes…

…Pikachu was lying unconscious on the floor…

… A shattered Pokédex…

…Ash trapped in a corner; Latios' claws raised high…

Pulling her arm away from Rosabella's firm grasp, Jewel charged headlong towards the portal, calling back to the adult Eon Pokémon as she did.

"If the realm I am going to is my Dream and I risk being trapped in my incomplete creation, then so be it. I will not hesitate anymore; I choose to keep dreaming… and I choose to…!"

Rosabella smiled tenderly as Jewel's form was completely swallowed up by the portal.

"Of course, how silly it is for me to even try to stop a daughter who is all grown up," muttered Rosabella to herself, tears of joy came streaming down her face, "I am sorry I was not there for you all these time, but thank you, thank you Jewel, for growing up to be such a fine Latias… Thank you for giving me the chance to see you… Thank you…"

So, with the final sigh of whisper, Rosabella faded away into Oblivion.

Back at the recovery section of the Pokémon Center, Latias' eyes glowed bright golden yellow as she snapped opened her eyes.

"… CHANGE THE REALITY!" roared Latias, finishing her sentence that was being called out to Rosabella before entering through the portal.

Golden wave to psychic energy so dense that it could be seen with naked eyes rippled out from Latias, shattering her room's large glass window and threw off all the medical equipment that were attached to her body. Ash let out a tortured scream as Latios' Dragon Claw seared through his shoulder and down the left side of his chest, but luckily his vital organs were missed due to the distraction caused by Latias awakening from her coma.

"_Impossible…_" Latios gasped at his little sister whose eyes were ablaze with golden fire; her body was shrouded in dense golden psychic aura which flared into a pair of angelic wings. "_How… how are you awake right now?! According to the medical records, you should be unconscious for another three days!_"

Glancing over, Latias saw Ash, whose face was pale from pain, shock and the loss of blood, was fighting with himself to stay conscious. Although the young trainer needs her help now, Latias decided to take care of the bigger threat first.

"_You have just done something that is unforgiveable, Latios,_" growled Latias.

"_Latias, wait! I can explain!_"

Whatever Latios was going to say was not given the chance to be said as Latias tackled her brother with speed faster than she was capable of before and slammed him against the wall of the Pokémon Center. Using her momentum to aid her, Latias drove her claws deep into Latios' chest. The liquid essence of the Soul Dew drenched her arm feathers.

"_Ugh… Latias… why…?_" coughed Latios, his visions dimmed as the power of Soul Dew was rapidly leaking out of him.

"_You were right, Latios,_" whispered Latias into the blue Eon Pokémon's ear, "_I was foolish and naïve. I have always been counting on others to protect me. Back in Altomare I counted on you to safeguard me, now with Ash, I burdened him with responsibilities to look after me… NOT ANYMORE! From now on, it is my turn to protect Ash. I will mercilessly strike down any being that will harm him; even if that being is you, Latios…"_

"La…ti… as…" gasped Latios as his visions were slowly fading from gray to black.

Kissing her brother lightly on his cheek, Latias forcefully withdrew her claws from Latios' chest.

"_**Riposare in pace, fratello**__..."_ muttered Latias softly as Latios closed his eyes with a tired sigh.

There were indistinguishable shouting and urgent banging on the other side of the locked main door of the recovery section as Ash's friends heard the commotion caused by Latias when she shattered the window to her room. Not wanting to be seen with the mess she had just caused, Latias quickly looked for another way out of the Pokémon recovery section. Finding none, she gathered up your mental strength and crumbled a section of the back wall. Much to her relief, the hole Latias had created led to the outside world. Quickly gathering up the limp form of Ash, who is unconscious now, Latias fled with her lover into the star-filled sky of the night.

* * *

Riposare in pace, fratello- (Italian/Altomare dialect) Rest in peace, brother...


	10. Chapter 10: Romance Dawn P 1: Giving In

**Author's Note: This is the shortest Chapter I have written yet, and it seem disproportionate to the time which I took to write. The reason behind such delay is that I had written and re-written the next installment multiple times, all the while dissatisfied with the balance of the story. In the end, I decided to break up the next installment into 2 parts. I had taken some big risks in writing this chapter, so please do NOT hold back on picking it apart in your reviews. Your comments goes a long way in helping me improve my quality of writing. Thank you all for you continued support!  
**

* * *

**Giving In**

Ash peeled his eyelids open carefully as his blurry eyes slowly adjusted to the dimly lit surroundings. The wound on his chest felt sore, but Ash felt no pain as he gingerly touched the spot. The wound was covered with damp cotton-like material and was snugly bound with thin twines in forms of make-shift bandages. Rolling his head around from his lying position, Ash found out he was resting in a crude hut made of tall grass bound in bundles that formed walls and roof of the shelter. Feeling a heavy weight pressing down on his stomach, Ash tried to sit-up in order to check out his source of discomfort. His sudden shift of position caused the figure that was resting on his mid-section to wake up with a start. It was Latias. Apparently, the red Eon Pokémon had changed into her human form and had been diligently treating the wound of her trainer. Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, Ash figured that Latias had been looking after him for quite some time without rest and was spent from exhaustion.

"_Oh, you are awake now," _murmured Latias sleepily, "About time, I was getting a bit worried."

Ash tried to sit up properly but Latias quickly pushed him back down to lying position.

"_No Ash you mustn't get up yet, I still need to change the dressing a few more times_."

Craning his head, Ash saw edges of three long and jagged tears in his shirt from under his dressings and tried not to imagine what kind of wounds that were being covered up by the soft cotton-like material.

"Where…" croaked Ash, his voice hoarse from prolonged neglect. Clearing his throat a few times, Ash attempted to speak again, "Where am I?"

"_You are safe with me now,_" answered Latias in a matter of fact tone, "_And under my care."_

Images of recent events came flooding back to Ash.

"What happened? How long have I been here?" asked Ash, his voice still a bit thick with hoarseness

Latias shifted her position slightly to reveal other makeshift items which she had crafted during the time when Ash was unconscious. She removed the soiled dressing that was currently bound to Ash and discarded it in a corner of the grass hut. Dipping fresh cotton-like materials, which upon closer observation revealed to be shed puffs from migrating Jumpluff, into a carved log served as a basin, Latias carefully soaked the material with berry extracts.

"_Well…_" answered Latias carefully as she squeezed out the excess extract back into the basin, "_you were unconscious after you were attacked… so I hid us in the middle of Mount Silver."_

"Why did you do that for? Why, did something happen afterwards that cause you to do this?"

"_I killed Latios," _declared Latias loudly startling Ash with her sudden outburst, "_I killed him for harming you, I killed him for being so narrow-minded. I hate him! I despise him! I… I…"_

Latias' ranting came to an abrupt halt as she burst into tears.

"_I… didn't mean to make everything turn out like this," _sobbed Latias pitifully as she placed the fresh dressings on Ash.

"Hey, it's okay… Don't cry Jewel," comforted Ash, as he pulled his beloved Pokémon into a cuddling hug.

"_No! It's NOT okay_," gulped Latias, _"Don't you see? I've committed a crime! I broke the law! I will be wanted everywhere! Since I had brought you with me, I've gotten you into trouble too_!"

"No, you did not," replied Ash firmly, "You are my Pokémon, and therefore I will take responsibility. You have done nothing wrong! You hear me, Jewel? I had ordered you to attack Latios, it was I who force you to come along, it was I…"

"_Stop it! Stop saying that!_" cried out Latias in horror, "_Don't you know what you are saying? You will ruin your entire life!_"

"I don't care what will happen to me!" countered the hot-headed young trainer, "As long as I can keep you safe, that is good enough for me! In fact, I will turn myself in right now!"

Pushing Latias away from him, Ash made a great effort to stand up, but before he could even stand up properly, his eyes rolled upwards and toppled forward. A pair of slander arms quickly reached forward to catch his fall. Gently lowering the young trainer back onto the ground, Latias placed his head on her laps.

"_I am sorry about that Ash_," cooed Latias, "_But now that I have the power, it is my turn to protect you now. You are mine; now and forever more…_"

When Ash woke up again, it was nightfall, as the world was dark and the full moon of the night was shining brightly through the opened doorway of the grass hut, bathing the interior with exotic glow. After a quick scan, Ash found out that the grass hut had been expanded as it was now roomier and the roof was higher than he remembered. Sure enough, when his eyes adjusted to the low light, Ash saw Latias, who was in her Pokémon form, making finishing touches on securing the roof with thick and flexible vines. Ash let out a soft groan, causing Latias to rush to his side in a hurry.

"Wa..water…" he croaked

Using her psychic power to form a sphere of liquid from a nearby basin, Latias held out the orb of water in front of Ash, who in turn drank greedily from it. Coughing and spluttering from drinking too quickly, Latias patted her trainer's back gently to ease his recovery.

"_There, there, take it easy now, Ash,_" Latias chided, "Drink_ slowly…slowly… that's it."_

After Ash had heaved a sigh of gratification, Latias launched the remaining orb of water out the doorway, which then broke and sprinkled the grassy ground outside. Snuggling into Latias' comforting warm cradling arms, Ash leaned his head against her feathery body.

"Why did you stop me earlier?" asked the young trainer, a hint of accusation was hidden within the question.

"_Ash, you belong to me just as much as I am to you,_" answered Latias, "_Now, it is my turn to step up to my duty as your Pokémon. From now on, I will protect you just as you did for me since Altomare.'_

"But…"

"_Please, love… Don't argue with me on this matter, nothing you say now will change my mind."_

Ash looked up at Latias and she was looking back at him. The moonlight infused atmosphere seemed to amplify everything that was in the grass hut as Latias seemed to look much more majestic, elegant and lovely. Her golden eyes softly reflected the moonlight; giving them a hypnotic allure. Her feathers were rough and ruffled from recent ordeals, but combined with the light reflecting quality of her feathers, gave Latias a halo-like glow. Suddenly, Ash felt something stirred from deep within him. It was an emotion that was alien to him as it was not fear, not excitement, not happiness, but rather it was something like a strong wanting. No, it was more than that; it was more of a craving. Although Ash had not eaten for quite some time, he knew he was not hungry at that moment. So the young trainer was very confused as to what he was craving for, if not for food. The moonlight seemed to enhance his other senses as Ash began to notice more details about Latias than before. The faint smell of sea breeze, now mixed with fragrant, fruity smell of berries permeated Latias' body. The soft downy feathers of her torso gently tickled his cheek. Ash felt his pulse quicken and his breath grew short, as if he had just ran up and down the entire side of Mount Silver. The situation which Ash now found himself in was very confusing to the young man, who felt his emotions were rapidly spinning out of his control. Ash only felt similar kind of emotion once before, and that was when he first fell in love with Latias. This time, however, it felt different. The feeling was much deeper, wilder and stronger. It was like Ash wanted more from his current situation with Latias, but he did not know exactly what he wanted. Ash's confusion with his inner self must had surfaced on his exterior expression as he became self-conscious that Latias was beginning to look at him strangely.

Little did he know, his Pokémon was experiencing similar inner conflict with herself. For Latias, the feeling was more explosive. It was as if an ancient and primordial beast within her had awoken and began to batter against its cage of morality and reason. Like Ash, the light of the full moon was driving Latias mad. When she looked into her lover's gentle brown eyes, Latias found her whole body began to flush with warmth, her feathers and skin became more sensitive; with each contact with Ash, sent a current of excited tingle of electricity down her spine. The ferocious wild beast within her raged even more, was making Latias struggle to remain in control. Latias knew that making eye contact with Ash was causing her to act so strangely, and that she should look away to keep her sanity. But oh, those deep brown eyes! Latias wished she could dive and lose herself within those chocolate colored pools. Gently and slowly, Latias lowered Ash onto the rush-matted floor of the grass hut, prompting Ash to break the delicate silence.

"Jewel, I…"

Latias interrupted by placing one of her claws gently over her lover's lips. She slowly but surely lowered her head over Ash's face until their faces were merely separated by a hand's breadth. For several intensely charged moments, they held their position, breathing in each other's breath, savoring the taste. Eventually, Latias lowered her head until her lips lightly brushed against her lover's. The final contact opened the floodgate of her pent-up desires. The beast had broken free of its shackles and let loose a roar of pure carnal instinct deep within Latias. All reasons and morality was swept away in an instant by a tidal wave of pure desire. Latias no longer cared anymore. All her frustration, all her waiting, all her yearning, all her dreams and her wishes came swirling into this one focal point. The beast was in front of her consciousness now. Latias did not have any will to resist. Casting aside all her final reasoning, she gave into her instinctive carnal needs and surrendered the control of her mind to the wild beast of desire.

With a ferocious flurry, Latias undressed her beloved Ash and threw herself on to him.


	11. Chapter 11: Romance Dawn P2:Starting Out

**Author's Note: I am truly sorry about the long delay. Preparing for my university's final had been brutal and I had just finished testing three days ago. But here is the good news: The story is now back on track!  
**

**So please enjoy! Happy Holidays, everyone!  
**

* * *

**Starting Out**

Clouds marched across the sky like a herd of whitish-gray Mareep, occasionally hiding the young morning sun from the Pokémon world. Sitting upon an open windowsill was a Soul Dew, calmly reflecting the migration of the clouds and the sun's little game of hide-and-seek with the world. The luster of the Soul Dew brightened and dimmed peacefully in a rhythm not unlike a creature's breathing. Suddenly, the Soul Dew shook once. It shook twice, and on the third time, it burst into a shower of sparkling lights and transformed itself into its corporeal form in the middle of a Pokémon Center dormitory room. The sudden appearance of Latios caused a young lady behind an easel to give a startled jerk.

"Oh, it's you," sighed Bianca in relief, "Feeling better now, Latios?"

Latios clenched and unclenched his claws repeatedly as he stared down at his hands. The power of Soul Dew within him had diminished; not to an irrecoverable level, but Latios felt he was not as capable as before.

"_Still a bit stiff and sore,_" answered Latios as he arched and twisted his neck to work out the kinks, "_What happened to me?_"

Bianca's expression turned into a stern scowl as she slapped down the crayon which she was using to draw with more force than she intended, snapping the fragile thing into two.

"That is my line to say!" said Bianca angrily, "When Nurse Joy unlocked the door, there was a huge hole in the wall, Latias' infirmary was broken into, Ash and Latias missing; with you and Pikachu defeated on the floor!"

When Latios did not comment on any of her narration, Bianca walked over to the Azure Guardian and held his hand within hers.

"I need you to tell me who was strong enough to take out both you and Pikachu, while still manage to kidnap Ash and Latias," continued Bianca urgently, "Brock and Misty suspect it was Team Rocket, and they had been working with Officer Jenny whole day yesterday to search for the two, but so far there were no results. Latios, you were there. I don't how and why you were with Ash, but you were there, so you must've seen the entire thing…"

"_I…" _said Latios hesitantly, "_don't remember anything… Ask Pikachu instead."_

Bianca huffed out an exasperated sigh.

"And you think we haven't? Unfortunately, Pikachu didn't make much sense at all; he claims YOU were the one responsible! Of course, Pikachu must be suffering from some kind of shock or else he won't…"

"_I know nothing and I don't remember anything,_" interrupted Latios forcibly, "_I have nothing else to say_."

Bianca reached out and grabbed the blue Eon Pokémon's head between her hands and held him to her eye level as she looked into his eyes.

"You are lying," declared Bianca, causing Latios to quickly break eye contact, "Latios, I will believe whatever you will say, just please… Don't shut me out like this," she pleaded.

Bianca watched as Latios twitched and fidgeted as if he was trying to make up his mind. After a few moments of tensed silence, Latios nodded to himself and looked squarely into Bianca's eyes.

"_Very well,_ _but this will take some time to explain,"_

"I have time," replied Bianca calmly as she settled down on a stool next to her easel.

So for the next thirty minutes, Latios recounted the events that took place on that fateful night while glossing over the details of his confrontation with Ash. Throughout his narration, Bianca's expression changed from disbelieve to utter horror at the end.

"I… I don't know what to say!" exclaimed Bianca, "You are actually saying Pikachu's accusation was correct?"

Latios lowered his head in shame.

"And to say Latias attacked you with an intention to kill," continued Bianca in disbelief. With her expression once again stern, Bianca grabbed hold of the blue Dragon Pokémon. "I've told you not to-"

Bianca gasped and recoiled in pain as a torrent of images and sensations rushed into her mind; ending with the sensation of Latias' attack on her brother.

"Ah… Alright," said Bianca as she blinked rapidly to keep her tears at bay, "So you are telling the truth…" Not able to bear the pain of the news any further, the young lady broke into tears and sobbed. "I wonder how scared Latias must have been for her to do such a thing. Oh, the poor girl, I wonder where she is now and if she is okay."

Latios could not help but to feel a sudden surge of anger rush forth from within him after hearing his friend.

"_Hey! That is not fair! How can you only worry about Latias when I was attacked and-"_

*SMACK*

Bianca's backhand echoed loudly within the small confine of her room. Despite their difference in size, the strike was strong enough to cause Latios to stumble a little.

"How can you be so selfish?!" lashed out Bianca, "Your little sister is alone out there with Ash, and Eon know where they are and how they are doing right now! I can't believe you are still only worrying about yourself!"

Hearing his friend's accusations, Latios was about to retort in force, but after seeing the level of distress Bianca was experiencing, he decided to bitterly swallow the injustice he felt and held his silence. Within him, his heart wept tears of blood for having to bear the hatred from the only human whom he considered as a family member. For a while the two of them commiserated in silence about their loss. Finally, Bianca calmed down enough to start holding conversations again.

"Well?" prompted Bianca without any preamble.

"_Well, what?_"

"Aren't you going to tell me where Latias is right now? I know you can through your Sight Sharing."

There was a brief pause as if Latios was complying with the request, but eventually he shook his head.

"_I am afraid I can't do that,"_ he said sadly.

"And why not?" asked Bianca sharply, "Don't tell me your stubborn pride is getting in the way!"

"_No, it's not that,_" answered Latios quickly, "_It's just that, I can't sense Latias' mind anymore."_

"What do you mean, you can't sense her mind? That has never happen before, no matter how far apart the two of you were."

"_The fabric of Eon is not like it once was; something had changed it. Latias is completely cut off from me now…_"

If Bianca did not fully understand Latios' explanation or if she was skeptical of it, she did not express it. After all, she reasoned with herself, if Latios was not ready to face his sister now, there was no point trying to force him, knowing how stubborn he is. Instead, Bianca allowed the conversation to lapse and looked at Latios in quiet contemplation. She then noticed the spot on Latios' cheek where she had hit him. The side of the cheek was beginning to swell with throbbing red marks indicating the pain which Latios was suffering at the time. With a sudden pang of guilt, Bianca stood up from her stool and cupped the swelling gently with her hand.

"I am truly sorry about this," she apologized tenderly, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Latios looked away from his friend without answering.

"_It hurts no more than my heart right now,_" he replied bluntly after the pause.

"Oh, Latios…" Bianca sniffed back some tears as she pulled the blue Dragon Pokémon into a tight hug.

The sudden intimacy brought back a stream of fond memories from the time before the Azure Guardian was transformed into the Soul Dew, causing Bianca to hug Latios even tighter. She eventually loosened her hold in order to smile up at Latios and as she did so, Bianca noticed her friend's eyes were sparkling from held-back tears. Seeing the tender and vulnerable side of Latios caused Bianca's heart to skip a few beats as she felt heat rushing up her face. Despite the swollen cheek that disfigured Latios' noble face, Bianca felt a re-kindled attraction towards the blue Dragon Pokémon. Tip-toeing slightly she slowly brought her face towards Latios', taking comfort that he did not show any sign of resisting her advances. Just as their lips were about to meet, Bianca stopped herself suddenly as if she had just remembered something important. She quickly distanced herself from Latios; all the while blushing in a deep shade of scarlet.

"We… we shouldn't be doing this…" stammered Bianca

"_No, we shouldn't_," Latios agreed awkwardly, his other side of cheek was quickly matching the swollen side in color.

Looking around hurriedly for a reason to change the atmosphere in Bianca's room, Latios noticed the drawing on the easel for the first time. It was a partially finished crayon drawing of Latios and Latias sleeping blissfully together in a tree. Upon seeing the drawing brought a renewed wave of sadness to Latios' heart.

"Do you still believe in that dream?" asked Latios, nodding at the drawing in reference. Glad and thankful for the change in subject, Bianca turned her attention towards her latest work of art. Picking up the remnant of the crayon she broke, Bianca resumed shading in the color of Latias in the drawing.

"It all seems so long ago and far away," said Bianca with a sad smile, "Ever since we left Altomare, both of you had changed so much. I just wish to create something to remind the three of us the fond memories we used to share together."

"'_Those whose memories fade seek to carve them in their hearts…'" _muttered Latios softly to himself.

"All dreams but another reality. Never forget…" added Bianca with a smile after overhearing Latios quoting the verse from Tablet of Eon, "I see you still remember it after all those time spent in the Great Library."

"_If all dreams are another reality, then there is no hope to repair the relationship between Latias and me."_

"No, I don't believe that," countered Bianca firmly, "The Tablet is not finished; it is merely a fragment. There must be other pieces out there that will change the meaning of our tablet completely."

"_Or maybe there aren't other pieces out there," _argued Latios, "_Maybe the verses meant what we interpret as, ever since it was first created!"_

Bianca shook head stubbornly.

"Even so, I am still going to keep believing. I will believe that Ash and Latias will return to us safely and I will believe in my dream that the fond memories of the past will happen once again!"

Meanwhile, somewhere high above in Mount Silver, our young hero awoke with a shiver when a piece of particularly large cloud drifted in front of the sun, casting the area in its shadows. The temporary shade allowed the follow-up mountain breeze to have an extra chilling effect when it blew through the grass hut where Ash and Latias were staying. Shirtless, Ash rummaged about for his shirt as he tried to shake off the sleepy haze that still hung thickly over his head. As he pulled on his clothing, he tried to think back on the events that happened on the previous night. For the young trainer, everything that happened seemed unreal and unbelievable, and if it were not for Jewel's gentle breathing as she slept on besides him, Ash would had sworn that the experiences he had were nothing but a fleeting dream. There were a lot of it he still did not understand, as his mind and body were still conflicting over the moral of it all, but there was one thing that he did understand. He had changed. Ash felt somewhere deep within his psyche, a dam had burst; a switched turned on; a question answered, allowing him to see the world in a different light. He now realized that true love is not just about proclaiming a few words of undying love, rather it required sacrifices and commitments which he had not image before. Ash berated himself for being so childish and naïve as he thought back and re-evaluated his relationship with Latias so far. Everything he did and everything he said seemed like a bunch of superficial acts. Suddenly, the memories of his first encounter with Latios in Bianca's room filled Ash's mind.

"_And you love her in return? What do you have to show for that?_" asked Latios' voice in his head.

"_Absolutely nothing…_" Ash answered bitterly to himself.

As the young trainer sat musing to himself, he traced his finger down the long slender neck of Latias, admiring her Pokémon form up close and without reserve for the first time the two of them met. When Ash ran his hand down the chest area, enjoying the feeling of soft downy feathers through his fingers, Latias let out a low moan, causing Ash to whip away his hand in panic as if he had just been hit by a Thundershock.

"_Don't stop…"_ murmured Latias sleepily.

"Well…err…I…err…" stammered Ash, as he was unsure of what to say or do next.

At the sound of her beloved, Latias' eyes fluttered open slowly.

"_Aww… you've put it on already?_" flirted Latias playfully, "_Don't you know you look much better without your shirt?_"

"Huh, what? Well…I…" continued Ash with his stammer as he now began to sweat nervously.

Amused by Ash's awkwardness, Latias let out a quick giggle and gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

"_Say, aren't you hungry?" _asked Latias brightly, "_Let me see if I can forage some ingredients to cook something up for you._"

"Oh, about that," replied Ash as he had finally recovered his senses, "Well, err, I think I am craving for some berries, let's just go look for some together."

Latias looked at Ash curiously as she wonder why her trainer had decided to turn down her offer to cook for him, but she quickly forgot about when Ash offered to search for food together. The couple left their grass hut behind as they explored Mount Silver in hopes to find edible nature's bounty. The two of them first went to the little stream which Latias found on the previous day to quench their thirst. They then proceed to hike upstream in hopes to find places where berry trees grew. Their trek was eventually rewarded when the couple found out the little stream that they had been following was actually a tributary of a strong, fast flowing river that cut across a sunny area filled with Pecha berry trees. Not believing their luck, both lovers laughed in delight as they ran under the largest tree. With her psychic power, Latias dislodged the largest, ripest and juiciest looking fruits from the tree and piled them under it. Both Ash and Latias wasted no time to sit down and gouge themselves with Pecha berries. After eating their fill, the two of them leaned against the trunk of the berry tree to enjoy the steady roar of the river and the calls of various Bird Pokémon around them.

"_I have been wondering,_" said Latias eventually, "_About what are we going to do with the life ahead of us._"

Ash closed his eyes and thought hard about the matter. The situation which he now found himself in required no easy choices to be made. What he is about to say will alter the course of his life forever.

"We can build a cabin somewhere hard to find in Mount Silver," said Ash slowly, thinking through every words as he said, "The two of us can live there together… Maybe even start a family…"

Latias' heart fluttered with excitement at Ash's words, but she quickly reined her emotions in.

"_But what about your current life?_" asked Latias seriously, "_Are you going to leave it behind?_"

Ash's mind whirled as he thought of his mother, of his dream to become the Pokémon Master, of Brock and Misty, of the countless friend he had made in his adventure, and most important of all, he thought of Pikachu and his Pokémon, the partners who define who he is today.

"Yes," answered Ash earnestly.

"_You are willing to leave your friends and family behind?_" Latias pressed on.

"Yes."

"_Even Pikachu and your other Pokémon?_"

Ash hesitated as he thought about Pikachu and his Pokémon for a second time. Pikachu is his first and best friend he ever had. The time and adventures he shared with the yellow Mouse Pokémon made him who he is now and under normal circumstances, Ash would never dream to abandon Pikachu or his other Pokémon he had befriended. Everything Ash did together with Pikachu and his other Pokémon represented his life as a Trainer up until the moment Latias escaped the Pokémon Center with him. Now, here at the crossroad of his life, Ash has to choose between going back to Pikachu and his old life, or starting out a new life with his one and only love, Latias. Although the choice was not easy, it was clear for Ash.

"Yes," replied Ash finally and with conviction.

Upon hearing Ash's answer, Latias broke down into tears of joy and gratitude as she kissed him long and hard under the shades of the Pecha berry tree. When the couples finally separated, Latias felt tingle of excitement course through her body as she thought about the endless possibilities of planning her new life ahead with Ash.

"_We shall build a cabin in the around mid-way up the mountain_," declared Latias, "_Somewhere with lots of sun so we can grow our own berries._"

"Why? The peak is further and easier to hide."

"_The peak is too cold and too far away from resources_," reminded Latias in an admonishing tone.

"The mid-way it is then," smiled Ash, for he had not seen Latias this lively since recent events.

"_At the back of the cabin we shall create a garden_," continued Latias excitedly as she fantasied about her ideas, "_Then I am going to fill it with trees of Oran, Tamato, Petaya and Pomeg berries_!"

"Why not other berries like Hondew, Chesto or Bluk?"

"_Because those four are my favorites, that's why_!"

"Hey, I have an idea too," chimed in Ash, for he was also getting excited, "We should start our family by adopting baby Pokémon living in the mountain!"

Latias let out a squeal and covered her face in embarrassment at Ash's suggestion.

"Why? What's wrong, Jewel?" asked Ash, concerned about Latias' sudden change in behavior.

"_N…no…nothing…_" Latias' words were barely understandable through her stuttering, "_It…it…it's just tha…that my heart is still not prepared…_"

"Oh come on, Jewel," teased Ash, "What is there to be shy for? We are practically a married couple now!"

"_M…M…Married...?_"

"That's right, married," said Ash with a mischievous grin, "In fact, why don't you start calling me 'Husband', already? Go on, try it!"

"_Eeek! I don't know… I can't do it!_" squealed Latias as she pressed her hands tighter over her face.

With gentle insistence and encouragement from Ash, however, Latias had eventually built up enough courage to peel her hands away from her face.

"_Ash…_" said Latias in timid voice, "…_Husband, dear_…"

Immediately after that, Latias once again clapped both her hands over her face in embarrassment. Ash laughed out loud in delight and pulled his beloved red Eon Pokémon into a hug with so much force that it crushed all the air out of her lungs. Wasting no time afterwards, Ash stood up from where he sat.

"_Hey, where are you going?_" asked Latias

"Where else do you think? It's time to put what we have planned into motion and turn it into reality!"

Latias sprang up with much enthusiasm at her beloved's words.

"_Oh my, you sure don't waste any time,_" said Latias with a playful twinkle in her eyes as she tenderly held her lover's hand, "'_Husband…!'"_

And so, hand-in-hand, the young couple took their first step into their new life; starting out a new chapter in their journey.


	12. Chapter 12: Yanma of the Mountain

**Yanma of the Mountain**

Whatever confidence and enthusiasm Ash and Latias had when they first set out on their new journey was fast evaporating under the scorching hot summer sun. Due to them being unfamiliar with the terrain of Mount Silver, the young couple was forced to trek up the mountain by following close to the river in order to prevent themselves from getting lost in the ever confounding maze of forest. To make the matter worse, the wild Pokémon gradually became more and more aggressive as Ash and Latias climbed higher and higher into the mountain and quickly established themselves as an annoyance to the young couple. This fact in itself was not a big deal, as compared to fighting Lando's Dragonite, the mountain's wild Pokémon were push-overs to Latias, but even as push-overs, the wild Pokémon were starting to wear Latias out through their sheer numbers. As he stepped over the fainted body of his fifth Ursaring and twentieth wild Pokémon encounter, Ash turned around to see that Latias was hunched over in exhaustion. Shaking his head sadly to himself, Ash turned back to lend his shoulder in support to Latias in order to help her to get up and move about. Helping the red Eon Pokémon to float along slowly, Ash guided his lover to the nearby river to rest and to refresh themselves.

"_There is one thing I hate about reality,_" pouted Latias as she sat down by the river bank, "_It has an annoying habit of ruining everything that's planned._"

"Oh cheer up, Jewel," laughed Ash happily, "Look at us now alone and free, with infinite possibilities waiting for us in the future!"

"_Yes, but still…_" began Latias but she was unable to finish as Ash had just splashed her with the cold mountain water from the river. The sudden shock from the cold made Latias to let out an involuntary gasp.

"_Hey, Stop that, that's cold!_" she protested indignantly as Latias raised her arms to shield herself.

Her protest was ignored as Ash continued his aquatic onslaught while laughing through it all.

"_Alright, that's it! Don't say I didn't warn you!_" said Latias in mock annoyance as she picked up Ash just like she did the first time they had met in the Secret Garden. Flying over the shallows, Latias let go. Ash flapped his arms wildly in vain attempts to remain airborne, but gravity quickly caught up to him and he plunged into the freezing cold water like a Snorlax trying to learn Dive. Surfacing with various kinds of aquatic plants clinging on to him, Ash looked as if he was an undiscovered alternate evolution of Lotad as he spat out river water from his mouth in a stream. Laughing so hard to the point that her sides were aching, Latias failed to notice Ash was advancing on her with mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Oh yeah? So you want to play that way, huh?" said Ash as he grabbed hold of the floating Eon Pokémon and gave her a sharp tug downward.

"_Eeek!_" squealed Latias as she felt herself lose balance and toppled into the water alongside Ash.

Laughing and rolling about in the shallows, the two love birds frolicked and splashed at each other without a care in the world; for to them the constrain of their old life was no longer there and they were enjoying the life which they deserve.

{Hey! Will the two of you keep it down?!} Both Ash and Latias froze in surprise as they were rudely interrupted by an angry screech. {I swear by the darkness of Union Cave, the tourists are out to get me! Ever since I was a mere Zubat, I can't fly anywhere without bumping into one of you clowns!}

Tracing the offending noise to its source, Latias found herself looking at a rather large Golbat hanging upside-down from a nearby tree branch like a grotesque blue-purple fruit.

"_Oh, we are sorry,_" said Latias without much sincerity as she was still trying to suppress a giggle, "_We didn't notice you were napping there, we promise we will be careful from now on._"

{Tourists…} The Golbat settled backed down to his nap with an irritated mutter.

"Huh? What is going on, Jewel?" asked Ash as he repeatedly tapped the side of his head trying to clear his waterlogged ears, "Who was that kept screaming at us to 'Go back'?"

"_Oh, it's nobody,"_ replied Latias dismissively, "_Nobody important, anyway._"

The young couple dragged their wet selves out of the shallows and sighed in unison as they lay down on the riverbank allowing the sun to dry them off. Latias could feel Ash was ogling at her since both of them had climbed out of the river. Feeling the urge to know the reason, she decided to confront him about it.

"_What's wrong, Ash? Why are you staring at me like that?_"

"Brock was right," said Ash with a flirtatious smile, "Girls DO look better when they are wet!"

"_Oh Ash, you are terrible!_" laughed Latias in reply and nudged Ash in his side with her claw. Despite Ash's poor attempt at flirting, Latias felt warm feeling coursing through her, and if she was not tired from all the wild Pokémon encounters and water fights from earlier, she would had expressed her affection in much more physical way. Suddenly remembering something, Latias sprang up and flew towards a nearby tree.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Ash in surprised as he too, scrambled to his feet.

"_I am going to ask for directions_," said Latias as she stopped under the sleeping Golbat.

"Directions? What directions? We don't NEED any directions!" exclaimed Ash in objection, "I've got this, Jewel. I have everything under control!"

Ash's objections fell on deaf ears as Latias was already calling up to Golbat.

"_Hello…? Erm, excuse me, I need to ask you something,"_ when he did not answer, Latias flew up to Golbat's level and began to pinch the Bat Pokémon's cheek with her claws, "_Hey! Wake up! I need your help!_"

{What do you want now?!} demanded Golbat grumpily as he was once again roused from his sleep, {can't a Bat Pokémon have his peace around here?}

"_Sorry,_" said Latias again without much sincerity, "_I am wondering... if you happened to know a place around here that is suitable for building a cabin."_

{A cabin?} asked Golbat suspiciously, {Why would you want to build a cabin on Mount Silver? Actually, don't answer, I am not interested.} Pointing with his wing to a location further up the mountain, the Bat Pokémon continued, {I do not know anywhere else that you can BUILD a cabin, but somewhere up that way you will find a log cabin.}

Latias could barely hide her surprise when she heard Golbat's answer.

"_You mean someone has already built a log cabin from before? Is it inhabited now?_"

{As if I know or care!} snapped Golbat, {Why don't you trek up there and find out yourself, if you are so curious?}

After that, any attempts by Latias to get any further answers from Golbat resulted in failure as he screwed his eyes shut and ignored Latias with dogged determination. Seeing she was not about to make any more progress, Latias decided to leave the Bat Pokémon alone and explain her recent conversation to Ash, who had finally just finished dislodging all liquid from his ears. Just like Latias, Ash was equally surprised when he heard about the log cabin.

"Well, I guess the only to find out is to go there and check it out ourselves," said Ash

Without any hesitation, Ash and Latias set out in the direction given to them and climbed higher up into Mount Silver. As they climbed, Ash found himself short on breath as the air thinned and his lungs struggled to draw in more air. His clothing dried quickly under the intense sun, were now sticking to his back as sweat from the hard trip up the mountain drenched him like he was thrown into the river again. Looking over to Latias, who was following closely behind him, Ash was surprised to see that Latias was not affected by the hike like he was. Her feathers were glossy from sweat due to the weather, but other than that, Latias showed no sign that she was labored from the search for the log cabin so far. Seeing Latias, Ash harbored a new level of respect for not just Latias, but for all Pokémon, regarding their (quite literally,) inhuman strength and resilience. The quest for the mysterious log cabin turned out to be harder than expected, as after several dozens more wild Pokémon encounters, the forest thinned out to reveal harsh and rocky terrain where the rocks were well worn by centuries of sun, wind and rain. At his point, Ash was about to give up on the search when Latias caught sight of an out-of-place structure among the rocky terrain on the edge of her vision. They had finally found the log cabin. Excited, Latias was about to rush forward to explore the structure, but Ash quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

"I think it is best for us if you use your human form for this," said Ash, "I doubt anyone can live in this kind of environment for long, but just in case…"

Latias nodded and with a shower of sparkling lights, she transformed into a delicate young woman of reddish-brown hair, flawless peach-colored skin and large citrine eyes whose beauty turned quite a few heads of other trainers when they saw her in such form. The jeweled arm band, Latias' namesake, was hidden most of the time by feathers when she was in Pokémon form, shone like a flaming star against the backdrop of dull gray rocks. Even though it had been a while since Ash had seen his lover in human form, nevertheless, the sight of her still took his whatever remaining breath in his lungs away. As he stared, Ash could not help but think how lucky he is to be able to love someone in two different forms.

"_Well, shall we_?" asked Latias, snapping Ash out of his trance.

The pair of them approached the log cabin cautiously, searching for any sign of life from or around the cabin. When they had gotten closer, Ash noticed that the log cabin was moderately sized with enough room to house a handful of inhabitants. Checking the parameter of the cabin, he found a few essential tools which were needed for the maintenance of the cabin and the well-belling of the occupants. Although Ash also found quite a collection of equipment which he neither recognize nor know the purpose of them, he paid no attention to them. While Ash was poking around the cabin, Latias looked through the window of the log cabin to see if anyone was in there, but she was quickly disappointed as the interior was dark and devoid of life. Since exploring the outside of the cabin yielded no results, Latias decided to try the door, and much to her surprise, it creaked opened without much resistance.

"_Hey Ash, come look at this,_" Latias called out to Ash who was still outside.

When he followed Latias inside the log cabin, what he saw took him completely by surprise. Even just with the light provided by the opened doorway, Ash could see that the walls of the log cabin were filled with shelves crammed full of books, tools, measurement instruments and various other gadgets which Ash did not know the purpose of their use. The overall interior appeared to be prim and proper, except for the pile of dirty dishes that were left unwashed in a tub and the dining table which also doubled as a writing desk, judging from the mess of paper strewn across its surface. Over in the corner was a very simple bed and directly across from it was a glass cupboard filled to its maximum capacity with none other than porcelain tea sets; a lavish display that clashed violently with rest of the simplicity within the cabin. While Ash was examining the assortment of teapots and cups with amusement, Latias walked over to the table and peered over the notes in hopes that they would shed some lights about the cabin's current or previous owner. Each sheet of paper contained several lines of hand-written text, with some even had numbers scrawled across them. Although most of the words that were written shared similarities with the characters of Universal which Latias had picked up from Bianca while she was growing up in Altomare, none of the words or characters on the papers was recognizable to Latias.

"_Ash, do you think you can read what's written on these papers_?" asked Latias, beckoning over Ash as he was still standing in front of the glass cupboard, "_They might give us some clues about this log cabin we've found_."

Bending over the table, Ash tried to use the limited lighting inside the cabin to read. But try as he might, Ash could not make heads or tails out of the words written of the papers, just like Latias before him. Not wanting to admit his incompetency in front of his lover, Ash kept his mouth shut and stared at the papers hoping that something will dawn on him. But eventually, he gave up and threw his hands up in gesture of surrender.

"You've got me here, Jewel," said Ash sheepishly, "I can't understand any of these letters."

"_Do you think it is written in codes?_"

"Maybe; either that or they are not written in Universal."

The two of them were so engrossed with the contents on the table that neither of them noticed a shadowy figure snuck in from behind through the open doorway. Suddenly, in a flurry of motion, Ash felt his legs gave out under him as someone had kicked them out from behind. As he was falling, Ash felt a staff reached out horizontally across his throat and pinned him against the body of his assailant in a stranglehold. Latias instinctively tried to lash out with her powers, but since she had transformed herself, nothing had happened. Growling and glaring in frustration, Latias could only bite the inside of her lips as Ash was left at the mercy of the newcomer.

"Alright, who are you, what are you doing in my cabin and who sent you here?" demanded a fierce male voice from behind Ash, "Speak!" The stranglehold tightened as Ash failed to answer.

"No...Nobody…sent us…" Ash managed to wheeze through his restricted windpipe, "We…exploring…mountain…got lost…."

Ash felt the pressure around his throat gave away and he was roughly shoved in Latias' direction, who quickly steadied him with her eyes filled with utmost concern. With the sound of a single click from somewhere within the log cabin, a flood of electrical lights illuminated the entire interior. Surprised and disorientated from the sudden change in the lighting, both Ash and Latias blinked and rubbed their eyes, trying to get them to adjust. When his eyes finally got used to the new bright interior of the cabin, Ash shot a glare towards his assailant.

"Hey! What was that f-" words caught in his throat as Ash was taken aback by what he saw. His assailant, who by this time became obvious that he was the owner of the cabin, was a young man in his early to mid-twenties, with features of dark hair, green eyes and average height. What really threw Ash off were the attires which the owner of the cabin was wearing. Having being treated so roughly, Ash did not expect the man who attacked him to be wearing a white lab coat over a messy, half-buttoned light blue shirt and a pair of khaki pants. The most prominent and outrageous of them all was the pair of spectacles perched on the bridge of the young man's nose, which enlarged his eyes to the point that they gave the young man the appearance of a human Yanma. Also upon a closer inspection, the "staff" which Ash felt around his throat was simply a heavily modified Super Rod, customized to the point that it looked as if it will fish up a Wailord with ease. Judging by the expression on his face, the cabin's owner was just as surprise to see Ash and Latias as they were to find out about his appearance.

"You are not what I've expected," said the owner with a frown, "Who did you say the two of you were again?"

"Oh hi, my name is Ash and this is my… girlfriend, Jewel," said Ash beginning with his usual introduction routine, "we are…" he paused, unable to find the proper words to continue.

"_Tourists…_" provided Latias hastily through private telepathy

"…Tourists from Pallet Town and we were exploring the natures of Mount Silver when we were attacked by wild Pokémon. We ran away, got lost and somehow we found ourselves here."

With a casual glance, the cabin owner briefly looked Latias up and down, but dismissing her as unimportant, he turned his attention back to Ash.

"Well, in that case, I apologize for my previous actions. Here, why don't you sit down and I will make you some tea."

Quickly tossing the Super Rod at the foot of his bed, the Yanma looking cabin owner cleared the dining table and busied himself with making tea for his guests.

"My name is Theodore Urbain Dexter Oscar Reynolds, but you may call me Tudor for short," introduced the cabin owner, "I am originally from Blackthorn City, but I had moved here in order to study and research Pokémon," throwing a quick smile at the couple who were now seated at the dining table, Tudor continued, "You two are my first visitors in years! Once again, sorry about earlier, I thought you were a mountain bandit or something, Ash.'

"Oh, that was nothing really," replied Ash graciously, watching Tudor putting on a kettle to boil, "But I have to ask, why did you come so far out into the wilderness in order to study Pokémon?"

"You mean, you can't tell from my looks?" asked Tudor, raising an eyebrow in astonishment, "Why, I am a Pokémon Researcher! Well… at least I am soon to be… I am still studying…" mumbling the last part, Tudor began to set out teacups for Ash and Latias, "My area of specialty is Pokémon movesets. So when I receive my certificate as a Researcher, I will be called a Moveset Specialist!" finished Tudor proudly.

"A Moveset Specialist? What is that?" asked Ash, turning to Latias in confusion, who shrugged in reply.

"It's a professor-level Pokémon Researcher who studies, analyzes and documents all possible Pokémon movesets in the world. Naturally, there aren't many of them in the world due to the daunting amount of study required."

"So what makes them so different than a Researcher like Professor Oak? I mean, when he collects Pokédex information, doesn't he also collect information on Pokémon techniques?'

"Ah, I am glad you asked Ash," said Tudor with a twinkle in his eyes, "Instead of studying the Pokémon as a whole, a Moveset Specialist only concentrates on the technique. This means, instead of studying Water Pokémon, we study all Water type moves and categorize their various strengths and weaknesses when they were used by Water or non-Water type Pokémon. We also try to understand various reasons why a Pokémon can learn techniques that are not their type or the type they are weak against. Like a Rhydon learning Surf, for example."

Nodding his head slowly, Ash tried to comprehend everything he heard from Tudor. Although he still couldn't see how exactly Tudor is different from Professor Oak, at least he could see that the amount of work involved were truly great.

"But that is not all," continued Tudor as he rushed forward to take the whistling kettle off the stove, "The true defining difference is that, by studying Pokémon movesets, a Moveset Specialist seeks to create more powerful, more efficient and more diverse techniques for Trainers and their Pokémon battles. If suitable techniques were ever created, they are then coded into Technical Machines or Hidden Machines."

"So, that's how TM are made…" said Ash, suddenly impressed by Tudor's line of work, "And I must say, you have quite an impressive set up here Tudor," continued Ash as he explored the interior of the cabin with his eyes while Tudor was fidgeting around with the teapot, "I was surprise that you could even build a log cabin here, let alone having electricity."

"Oh, it's easier than it looks," said Tudor airily carrying a tray with tea and sugar to the young couple, "A little bit of elbow grease and a portable generator, you will be surprised with how much you can accomplish." As he finished serving Ash and Latias with their tea, Tudor went off and settled down on his bed.

Latias looked cautiously at the dark liquid in her teacup and turned to Ash as if she was asking his permission to continue. Smiling in encouragement, Ash made a motion for her to go ahead. Taking a tentative sip from her cup, Latias' expression quickly blossomed into that of appreciation as she felt the warmth and comfort of tea course through her body. Happy that his beloved is enjoying the tea, Ash also took a sip from his own cup and immediately spat it back out in disgust.

"YUCK! What was that?! It's disgusting!" exclaimed Ash as he repeatedly wiped his mouth on his sleeve, trying to rid the taste of tea.

"I knew this will happen," said Tudor with a wry smile. Reaching over to the Super Rod, he picked it up and advanced menacingly towards Ash and Latias who sat frozen in confusion, "Okay, Round Two… Let's try this again: Who are you and what were you doing in my cabin?" he growled, all his previous cheerful and friendly demeanor had evaporated, "I will NOT ask you a third time…"

With his last warning, Tudor twisted the shaft of his Super Rod and unsheathed a long, thin blade.


	13. Chapter 13: A new training begins

**Author's Note: I have to do some traveling out of town, thus explaining the huge delay in updating my chapters. In the meantime I am very grateful of all the reviews I have received so far, for they continue to push me to become a better writer. In compensation for the long delay, I have written up an extra long chapter for my readers to enjoy! Also, please do not forget to review after reading, your comments are very important to me.  
**

**This chapter contains introduction of new regional dialects. They are as follows:  
**

**Blacktorn region- **[Dialect from Northern United Kingdom] This heavy accented dialect is mainly spoken by residence of Blacktorn City and surrounding area. The real world counterpart is a specific dialect spoken in North parts of United Kingdom (south of Scotland). Although it does come from a specific region in U.K, for the life of me, I can't recall where. If you can decipher and recognize what is being said in the story, please feel free to make a comment about it in the review or PM me. I will make appropriate edits with proper credits.**  
**

**Undisclosed region-** [French] Where can this mysterious region be in the Pokemon World? If you are a Pokemon fan, you can easily figure it out by the end of this chapter :p

* * *

**A New Training Begins**

"Woah! Take it easy there, Tudor!" yelled Ash, his eyes crossed at the tip of the saber that was brandished him, "I was telling the truth! Honest!"

Sighing in exasperation, Tudor lowered his saber a little, "You seem to take me as a fool. Very well, shall I just call out your bluffs then?"

Pointing his blade at Latias' human form, Tudor began to recount his observations.

"First and foremost, your 'girlfriend' here is not human, but a Pokémon," said Tudor noting with satisfaction at the horror on the couple's faces, "Am I right… Latias…?" There was a soft shattering tinkle of porcelain as the teacup slipped out of Latias' shocked, numbed fingers.

"Wai..Wait…wait, wha- how did you..." sputtered Ash as his mind went into overdrive with terrifying thoughts. _Did someone report them already? Was there a wanted alert posted on Latias? Was that how Tudor knew?_ Leaning slightly on his saber, Tudor pointed at the one remaining teacup.

"It is quite simple really, I had laced your tea with powdered Petaya Berry," explained the Yanma looking Pokémon researcher, "Which you may or may not know, taste absolutely disgusting in hot liquid to humans, but they are considered as a delicacy for Psychic type Pokémon."

"But why…?"

"Ever since I first saw the two of you, I knew something was strange. By the time you said the two of you were escaping from wild Pokémon, I already knew you were outright lying to me," whipping the point of his saber up, Tudor alternated it between Ash and Latias like the hand of a metronome, "You see, at first I found it odd that a delicate and frail looking lady like your 'girlfriend' here was capable of running away from the highly evolved Pokémon around this region, but do to it without breaking sweat?" Tudor shook his head slowly to express his doubts.

"That doesn't mean anything!" protested Ash, "I could had carried her or lured off the wild Pokémon by myself so she didn't have to run, or… or something!"

"You could have, I suppose," conceded Tudor, "But then when I looked at 'Jewel' after turning on the light, I noticed the length of her shadow doesn't quite match with her height. Of course," Tudor raised his voice to forestall further arguments, "The difference is very subtle and to an untrained eye it won't be noticeable. Unfortunately for you, of all people in the world, you have to run into a Pokémon Researcher, whose observational skill is bread-and-butter to his career."

Ash held his tongue as he did not want to worsen the situation by accidentally letting more information slip. Already he figured the saber wielding young man in front of him is not just an average Pokémon Researcher and Ash was afraid that anything he might say now will worsen the situation further. Beside him, Ash could feel Latias was stealing fearful glances at him throughout Tudor's commentary.

"_Shall I transform and blast this Yanma looking nerd away_?" asked Latias privately to Ash

"_No,_" Ash thought back hurriedly, "_No… don't do anything hasty, you will never know what he is-"_

"HEY!" shouted Tudor, interrupting Ash's thought, "I am not a NERD… I am a SUPERNERD! If you want to insult me, at least get it right! Good Groudon…"

Ash and Latias felt like each of them had just received a Crab Hammer to the gut as the surprise from Tudor's ability to overhear telepathy drove every ounce of breath from their lungs. Ash's shoulders slumped in utter defeat. _This is it; there is no way I am talking out of that one._ But amazingly, Tudor acted like nothing had happened and continued with his rambling.

"Now where was I…? Oh yes, the shadow. After noticing the shadow discrepancy, that was when I also noticed her unusual golden eyes. At that moment, I've decided to test out my theory by-"

"OKAY, OKAY!" yelled Ash unable to handle the pressure any longer, "You win, and I was lying! Are you happy now?"

With an irritated look, Tudor skillfully kicked the other half of Super Rod high into the air and sheathed his saber with it as it descended.

"Tsk, spoilsport," he grumbled, "I was going to go on about how the healing wound on your shoulder was caused by a Dragon Claw attack, which none of the wild Pokémon in the area is capable of performing; the fact that the tourist attractions are located on the OTHER side of the mountain; and the fact that if you are not a Pokémon Trainer, it is highly unlikely that you will be traveling without an adult supervision at your age…" Pulling up a chair, Tudor sat himself across from Ash with his Super Rod set across his lap, "So Ash, I know you are a Pokémon Trainer. Depending on your REAL explanation this time, I may not go easy on you; even if you are a kid."

"Fine," replied Ash, "But before I do that, I need you to answer two questions first," when Tudor nodded his consent, Ash continued, "First, if you had suspected Jewel as a non-human, why did you call her 'Latias', out of all the Pokémon in the world? Second, how in name of Ho-oh's Sacred Fire, are you able to overhear telepathy?"

"Oh _puh_-lease, will you stop underestimating my intellect?" sighed Tudor, rolling his eyes at the young trainer's questions, "It is true that any Psychic-type and to some extent, Ghost-type Pokémon are capable of creating rudimentary mimicry of human forms, there is only one in the world who can such an advanced replica; and that Pokémon is Latias. As for your second question; well, it's a secret!" finished Tudor with a sly wink.

"Hey! That's not fair 'being a secret' is not really an answer!"

"Very well, then. In that case, let's just say, it's part of my job requirement."

Ash grudgingly accepted Tudor's answer. From what he had heard, it seemed Tudor was unaware of Latias' deed and all the background information lead up to Latias and his self-exile from the world. Betting on the belief that he is right, Ash nodded at Latias signaling to her to undo her disguise while he formulated a new story in his mind.

"Well hello there, beautiful," said Tudor in greetings as the majestic red Eon Pokémon appeared before him in a shower of silvery light.

"_Hello, Tudor,_" answered Latias shyly.

"Well, at last we are properly introduced," said Tudor, turning his attention back to Ash, "It's time to hear the real story."

Choosing his words carefully, Ash told Tudor that he was trainer from Pallet Town seeking to participate in the Silver Conference until he met the former Champion, Lando. He told Tudor that at first Lando's true identity was hidden from him until he used Latias against Lando in a Pokémon battle. That was when Ash was given an offer that in return for allowing Lando to train with Latias; Ash would be given a chance to challenge the Elite Four and the Champion. From this point, Ash modified his story drastically. He told Tudor that after suffering crushing defeats in the hands of Lando during a training battle, he had lost all confidence in being a Pokémon Trainer and vowed that he will stay in Mount Silver to train as long as needed in order to become strong enough to defeat Lando. Ash ended his story there without ever mentioning his traveling companions, Pikachu, Altomare or any of his previous encounters with the Eon Twins. Neither had he explained how a trainer like him came by a Legendary Pokémon like Latias, but since Tudor did not ask, Ash decided that the best course of action was to remain silent. Tudor's brow creased in a thoughtful frown as the Pokémon Researcher processed the new information that was presented to him.

"So, let me get this straight," said Tudor, his brow still creased, "You actually battled Lando, as in THE former Champion, Lando?"

Ash nodded in reply, "Yes, the very same. Why? Do you know him?"

"Know him?" Tudor snorted with barely contained laughter, "Even someone who spends their entire life buried in Diglett's Cave knows who Lando is!" Looking out of the cabin's window, Tudor had a look of reminiscence on his face, "Quite an honorable and respectable man he is. Although we don't always agree with each other, that man will always have my respect. Can't say the same about his Dratini though… I can't stand his Dratini…"

"Sounds like you know him on a personal level… And why, what is wrong with Lando's Dratini?" asked Ash, partly out of curiosity, partly out of eagerness to keep the subject of the conversation away from him and Latias.

With a sour look, Tudor turned his attention back to the couple sitting in front of him.

"Lando and I had a few run-ins in the past, that's how I am so familiar with him. As for Dratini, back when I was still in Blackthorn City, I offered her a job to be my research assistant because I admired her level of intelligence. But no," here Tudor rolled his eyes sarcastically, "her "warrior's pride" and "honor" does not allow her to exist as such lowly status, so she chose to travel with Lando instead. Good Groudon, each time I hear her talk about her pride and honor just makes me want to shove my foot up her-"

Where exactly Tudor wants to shove his foot, Ash will never find out as at that precise moment, Latias let out a hysterical laughter, breaking her long held silence.

"Well, I think the Dratini you are talking about is actually a Dragonite now," said Ash in explanation to Latias' sudden outburst, "So I think you will find whatever plan you had in mind just a LITTLE bit harder to pull off."

"Oh, is she now?" said Tudor, clearly unimpressed, "So she had gotten a bit taller, big deal…"

Without really knowing the reason, Latias suddenly felt a surge of anger well up from deep within her and blossomed over her heart in a big explosion. Perhaps it was the condescending tone of Tudor that had finally gotten to her nerves or perhaps it was the fact that Tudor was belittling Dragonite, an opponent whom she had difficulty facing, Latias felt her competence was being insulted in an indirect way. Whatever her true reason was, her anger caused Latias to stand up from her seat with such force that her action knocked over the chair which she was sitting in. Bringing her face uncomfortably close to Tudor's, Latias smiled a bit to herself as she noted that Tudor shied away from her due to the smell of Petaya berries in her breath.

{Don't you DARE talk about Dragonite in that tone!} growled Latias; choosing to use her voice instead of telepathy so that she could utilize the pungent smell of Petaya berry in her breath to further unsettle Tudor.

"Well, I don't quite understand what you are 'La-La-ing' about," replied Tudor, "But from the sound of it, you have grown quite fond of Dragonite, haven't you?"

Unable to restrain herself further, Latias grabbed the front of Tudor's lab coat and lifted him forcibly out of his chair; levitating a bit so the Pokémon Researcher's feet dangled helplessly in mid-air. Ash leap up from his seat with a shout of protest, reaching forward to restrain Latias, but Tudor raised his hand in a gesture to advise Ash to not interfere.

"Now look here, young lady," said Tudor calmly, "As a responsible adult, I had been extra tolerant towards the two of you regarding the issues of trespassing on my property and lying about it to boot, but this," there was a dull crackling of bone as Tudor gripped Latias' arm with strength disproportionate to his appearance, "stunt you are pulling right now is really starting to try my patience, Latias."

Latias winced when Tudor gripped her arm, but she managed to hold on.

"There will be two outcomes resulting from our current situation," said Tudor, his voiced hardened dangerously, "First is you will put me down nice and slow and return to your seat. From there, we will continue to talk like civilized beings. Second, you continue to be stubbornly stupid, which will result in me losing my cool and removal of you two from my property by force. So which will it be? It's your choice, Latias."

For the next tensed seconds, Ash thought Latias might actually choose the second option, in which case he placed his hand over Latias' pokeball so that he can quickly withdraw the red Eon Pokémon before things gets too much out of hand. To his relief, Ash saw Latias slowly relaxed her grip on Tudor's lab coat and lowered him to the ground.

"Phew… That's quite the arm's strength," sighed Tudor, rubbing the spot on his neck where his lab coat collar had dug into, "For a moment, I thought I was really going to die back then."

Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing. Whatever happened to "removal of you two from my property by force"? Truth be told, Ash had never met anyone as unpredictable as Tudor in his life and now he felt at loss on how to handle such a person. Luckily for Ash, Tudor continued to do most of the talking.

"You know, I can't help to wonder, why do you express so much hostility when I was talking about Dragonite? Wasn't she supposed to be your opponent?"

Latias remained silent and simply glared at Tudor, for she did not know the answer herself. This time though, Ash came to Latias' rescue by interjecting in her stead.

"Well you see, the Dragonite you had been talking about was the same one who had defeated Latias," explained Ash, "We challenged Lando and Dragonite for a total of three times, but we were horribly defeated each and every time-"

"You, what?!" exclaimed Tudor in surprise, his widened eyes appeared even more comical behind his spectacles, "Three times and not a single victory? How the Houndoom did you manage to do that?! It seemed like you are trying to lose on purpose in order to suffer that many defeats."

The air thrum with energy as Latias charged up her psychic attack to blast away Tudor, whom she was starting to find very obnoxious, but Ash felt the disturbance in the air and quickly put a hand on her wing; warning her to stop the attack.

"… Now I see why you were discouraged," continued Tudor, oblivious to, or at least pretending to be, Latias' attempt to attack him, "Tell me, if you are so hopelessly outmatched, then why do you still want to keep training? Surely, you should know it's useless by now."

Seeing the dejected looks of the young couple in front of him, Tudor shook his head sadly, "Besides, why did you accept such an unusual offer? You asked for chance to challenge the Johto League? Why did you not ask for something more practical, like a rare TM or HM?"

Ash hesitated with his answers as Tudor 's question brought several painful memories back, but eventually he mustered enough willpower to confront Tudor's question.

"I used to dream to become the Pokémon Master," mumbled Ash in a barely audible voice.

"Used to?"

"I gave up that dream now."

"Clearly you haven't if you plan to continue to train by yourselves," Tudor pointed out, "I assume you ARE going back to re-challenged Lando, aren't you?"

Again Ash hesitated with his answer as he now realized the loopholes within the fabricated tale he told Tudor. Looking over worriedly at Latias, Ash hoped that she would know a suitable answer, but like her trainer, Latias did not have a solution, therefore she could only answer Ash's worried look with one of her own.

"Now that you have mentioned it, I am not too sure," replied Ash hesitantly.

"I see," said Tudor

For a while the Pokémon Researcher kept silent and looked out of the window in deep contemplation. Just when Ash thought Tudor had dozed off, he nodded to himself and turned to address Ash and Latias once again.

"Very well, I've decided," said Tudor, "I am going to help you defeat Lando, and with some luck, the Johto League."

Both Ash and Latias were so surprised by Tudor's sudden announcement; they nearly fell out of their chairs.

"How?" Ash managed to gasp; his mind was still struggling to comprehend Tudor's words.

"I am going to teach you how to battle properly," said Tudor in a matter of fact tone, "I can't conscientiously allow such terrible Trainer back into the world. Especially one of such young age."

Ash could not help but letting off a burst of laughter that was poorly disguised as a snort.

"And just how are you going to manage that?" demanded Ash, his voice was laced with a skeptical sneer, "You are not a Trainer, you are a Researcher!"

Upon hearing Ash's words, Latias nodded vigorously to show that she shared the same point of view as her lover. Tudor took great offense from Ash's words and Latias' behavior.

"Look kid," said Tudor impatiently, "You look like you are about twelve; so let me tell you something about how REAL Pokémon battles work. Pokémon battles are more than simply having two creatures beat each other senseless over a patch of dirt. True Pokémon battle is more of an art or science, it requires a great deal of understanding to master."

"So what? I still don't understand how a Researcher like you can teach me how to battle," said Ash

"It's true that I do not have much of a field experience," admitted Tudor, "But I am confident that the Pokémon I train by using my knowledge, they can take on any Pokémon and any situation," When Tudor saw Ash and Latias remained unconvinced, he beamed them a sly smile, "I see that you can't take my words seriously, very well, follow me outside, I shall prove to you that they are indeed true."

Determined to find out what Tudor really meant by his words, Ash and Latias agreed to Tudor's proposal, and the trio filed out of the cabin without another word. Time flew when the young couple was having conversation with Tudor, as Ash now noticed that the sun had quite a bit of progress across the sky since the last time he was outside. Without receiving the sun's direct attention, the mountain side was now cast into an ominous shadow and Ash also noticed a significant shift in the temperature.

"You are going to battle me," said Ash, more of a statement than a question as he guessed Tudor's intention.

"Correct," replied Tudor, "My Pokémon as against your Legendary Latias in a one-on-one battle. What do you say?"

Ash was worried that Latias might not be ready for a Pokémon battle, especially the two of them had already experienced quite an exhausting day, but before he could express any of his concern, Latias pushed him out of the way and stepped forward confidently.

"_Just stand back and watch, my love," _said Latias with a determined tone, "_Responsible adult or not, I am going to make him pay for his insolence!_"

"Excellent! That's spirit I like to see," smiled Tudor, "Now allow me to introduce my Pokémon assistant."

Reaching into his lab coat pocket, Tudor took out a miniature pokeball, expanded it with a push of its button and casually tossed it into the air. With a flash of light that contrasted sharply with the shadowy surrounding, a metallic bird Pokémon burst out of its pokeball. The creature's body was covered with feathers of polished steel that were so well trimmed and maintained that the Armor Bird Pokémon appeared to shine with light of its own. Despite the fact that Tudor was not a Trainer, Ash could tell by the confident posture and the well distributed body mass, that Tudor's Pokémon was no doubt well trained and taken care of. While Ash was moderately impressed by Tudor's training ability, he could not help but find the situation funny.

"A Skarmory?" chuckled Ash, "You are going to challenge Latias with such common Pokémon?"

"Not just a common Pokémon," admonished Tudor, "This Skarmory here is a retired veteran of Johto Foreign Legion and is my most talented and trusted assistant."

(Ayup, uz nem is Winston S.K. Armory, reportin for duty, sir!) cawed Skarmory in a heavy Blacktorn accent.

"What are we waiting for, then?" challenged Ash impatiently, "Let's finish this off quickly! Latias, use Solar Beam!"

Due to the fact that the mountain side was no longer drenched in abundant sunlight, Latias was forced to gather what little bit of sunlight that was left in order to charge up her powerful attack. Seeing the delay in Solar Beam as a golden opportunity, Tudor seized it as a chance for a counterattack.

"As if I am going to allow that to happen!" shouted Tudor, "Winston, show them your Sandstorm!"

With a powerful roar, the Armor Bird took to the air and began to beat the air in long and powerful strokes. With each stroke of Skarmory's powerful metal wings, dust and sand began to pick up and swirl into a vicious vortex. With steady increase in the speed of the wings, it was not long before the battle area was surrounded by a curtain of blinding sand. Latias flinched as sand and small debris stung her eyes and body; threatening to make her lose focus, but she managed to hold on. Squinting through the torrent of sand, Latias caught sight of the shadowy silhouette of her opponent and launched her Solar Beam without a moment of hesitation. To her great disappointment, the attack was only a fraction of the powerful ray of light Latias was hoping for, as result the thin beam of sunlight ricocheted off Skarmory's plate armor like a pebble bouncing off the side of Mount Silver.

"Now Winston, follow it up by using Toxic!" Tudor shouted over the windy roar of Sandstorm

The vortex of sand subsided temporary as Skarmory ejected a mass of black sludge towards the defending Latias.

"Quick, wash it away with Surf!" commanded Ash as he rubbed sand from his eyes.

With a brief expansion of her chest, Latias spewed a great torrent of water towards the incoming Toxic attack. The two techniques collided and resulted in a hiss of poisonous vapor.

(That's jannock an interestin move theear, bairn.) commented Skarmory, (Let's see 'a theur 'andle t' next attack!)

A series of sharp Spikes scattered about Latias in rapid succession as Skarmory spun at high speed in mid-air.

"Hurry Latias, hide!" shouted Ash as both he and Latias dove behind a rock just large enough to shield them both from being impaled by sharp shrapnel.

"Well done, Winston!" praised Tudor, "Now, seal them in by using another Toxic attack."

Skarmory complied by launching a salvo of black sludge which pooled darkly around the rock which Ash and Latias were taking refuge; cutting off their escape.

"Why don't you surrender now, Ash?" taunted Tudor, "Face it, you have nowhere else to run!"

Latias poked her head out from behind the rock and yelled back defiantly back at her opponents.

"_Your inexperience as a Trainer is showing Tudor. Ground based attacks and traps means nothing to me!_"

To prove her point, Latias ducked out from behind the rock to show her levitation was indeed negating the Spikes and Toxic puddles set up by Skarmory. Instead of disappointment, however, Tudor was smiling with amusement.

"Oh dear, it seems someone is having difficulties in thinking ahead of time," sighed Tudor, "Very well, let us end this shall we, Winston? Sandstorm, now!"

Ash's stomach sank in dismay when he realized the meaning behind Tudor's words and what was about to happen next. Once more, Winston the Skarmory whipped up a brutal Sandstorm with his wings, but this time rather than just sand and other debris, the scattered Spikes and Toxic puddles were also swept into the vortex of sand.

"LATIAS, NO!" Ash shouted on top of his lungs and tackled his precious loved one to the ground just as the poisonous veil of sand rushed over the two of them. Using his own body as a shield, the young trainer did his best to protect his Pokémon from harm, but Skarmory's onslaught was relentless. Ash whimpered in pain as sharp Spike and coarse sand dug into him and felt the fast-acting poison of Toxic began to numb his entire body. He could feel Latias squirming from under him and she was yelling something, but Ash understood nothing. His thoughts began to get lethargic and his visions blurred, but Ash kept his body firmly pressed against Latias' in dogged determination. The last vision that registered in the young trainer's mind was the image of Skarmory rapidly closing in with his wings alight in Steel Wing attack.

Shortly after he had fainted, Ash felt a sharp prickle in his thigh as if someone had jabbed a needle into him. Immediately followed by the prickle Ash felt a sensation of revitalizing fire course through him, causing him to sit up with a start. Coughing and gasping as he mistakenly inhaled some residual sand, Ash looked around frantically to assess his surroundings.

('a' wor um gormless thin theur did theear, lad,) said a familiar sound of metallic squawk, (Gran' thin ah wor 'ahdin back, or theur won't be wakin up naw.)

Looking over to the direction the voice was coming from, Ash found the Armor Bird Pokémon scowling at him. Beside him, stood Latias who looked like she was on verge of tears.

"Yes, that was very stupid indeed," said Tudor, tossing away an empty container of a Full Restore, "If you keep behaving like that, you will wind up as a permanent resident of Lavender Town."

"Sorry," apologized Ash

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to her!" said Tudor, pointing at Latias

Ash repeated his apologies to Latias but she did not answer him; only sniffed back her tears and turn her back towards Ash.

"Now then," said Tudor, the sound of his voice cut across the fragile tension between Ash and Latias, "it seems I have defeated you fair and square, so will you now acknowledge-"

(Ahem,) coughed Skarmory, causing his trainer to look over to him quizzically, (May ah av eur sharp wut wi' theur?)

Nodding his consent, Tudor quickly turned back to Ash to deliver the rest of his message.

"You have seen what I am capable of doing now; I hope you will give my offer a careful consideration. I shall hear your response after I get back."

With Skarmory leading the way, Tudor turned his back towards Ash and followed his Pokémon to somewhere they could talk privately. When Skarmory determined that he was safe from eavesdropping, normally or otherwise, he confronted Tudor with a heated glare.

(**Avez-vous perdu la tête?!**) demanded Skarmory furiously, using a strange and foreign dialect, (**Avez-vous une ****idée de ce que ****vous ****faites en ce moment****?**)

"**Quoi?**" asked Tudor innocently, matching the dialect of his Pokémon flawlessly, "**Qu'ai-je fait?**"

(**N'oubliez pas ****votre commande ****à partir du ****quartier général****, ****Gilbert**,) Skarmory reminded his trainer urgently pronouncing the real name of his trainer closer to 'Jill-bear' than anyone would expect. Upon hearing the name, Tudor lost his entire relaxed and calm attitude. Putting his fingers through the gaps of Skarmory's neck plates, Tudor pulled the Armor Bird Pokémon close enough that the tip of the Pokémon's beak was touching his nose.

"I know what my orders are from** Eternara,**" said Tudor harshly, switching back to Universal to drive in his point, "If we are lucky, that kid might prove useful to our mission, and I would refrain from using that name or dialect ever again while we are in Johto. If I find out you've jeopardized the mission due to your big mouth, I will tape your pokeball shut and hurl it over a cliff with you in it! Do I make myself clear?"

(Yes, sir…)

While Tudor was having his private conversation with his Skarmory, Ash was holding a telepathic one of his own with Latias. Sitting down next to the red Eon Pokémon, who was now crying softly to herself, Ash tried to comfort her by pulling her into a cuddling hug but Latias rejected his advance.

"Hey, what's wrong, Jewel?" asked Ash, his voice was full of worry and concern

"_What's wrong? It's YOU that's 'what's wrong'_!" snapped Latias, tears flowing freely from her golden eyes, "_Why are you being so stubborn, Ash? Why must you always get hurt because of me? I have told you I have the power to protect you now. How am I supposed to do that when you are not letting me?_"

"I am sorry," mumbled Ash humbly, "It's just that, I couldn't bear watching you get hurt no matter how trivial…"

"_You_…" began Latias as she prepared to scold her beloved some more, but realizing Ash's good intention, her expression softened, "_Fine_… _I shall forgive you, but mind you, this will be the last time I will do so._"

Feeling happy and relieved, Ash gave Latias a crushing bear hug and planted a long and grateful kiss on his lover's lips.

"_Hey! Careful, Tudor might see us!_" Latias managed to say after resisting a strong urge to kiss back.

"Oh…yeah, that's right…" replied Ash hastily while doing a quick scan of his surroundings to make sure Tudor was not on his way back.

"_Speaking of Tudor, what are you going to say about his offer?_" asked Latias, "_Although I hate to admit it, but after battling him I think he might actually be capable of helping us defeat Dragonite._"

Ash thought about his answer for a bit as he processed many conflicting thoughts and emotion through his mind. Settling on his answer, the young trainer looked Latias squarely into her eyes and delivered his response.

"It's true that Tudor's battle style is unique," admitted Ash, "But I am still going to refuse him. I had made a promise to start a new life with you, Jewel. I will keep that promise no matter what."

"_But you made that promise because of me, Ash,_" said Latias, "_Do you truly believe that you can let go of your dream to become a Pokémon Master? Can you really give it up when you were offered a second chance such as this?_"

"I…"

Ash could not find words to reply Latias, for she had touch upon the core of his inner struggle regarding his current situation. Looking at her lover, Latias knew the moment she had asked her last question, she had lost him. Watching on sadly as Ash stared off dreamily into the distance, Latias knew of the great struggle which Ash was having inside him. From the fire that burned in his eyes and the tensed shoulders due to excitement, Latias could tell that within the young trainer's mind he was imagining being at the top of the world for having defeated the Johto League; instead of having a peaceful life with her somewhere hidden in the mountain. Strangely enough, Latias felt at peace with herself. With no apparent reason, words of Lando's Dragonite surfaced from the depths of Latias' memory.

_Do you love him enough that you will be able to let him go?_

"_Yes_," answered Latias confidently to herself, "_Because I know that our love runs deeper than any other in the world. Even though he may walk away from me now, I know he will come back to me when he is ready. Until that day comes, I am willing to wait._"

Softly placing her hand on Ash's shoulder, Latias gently brought her lover's mind back to reality.

"_Go on Ash, accept the offer,_" smiled Latias, "_You don't have to worry about me. Accept Tudor's training and let's go back to Lando to claim our chances to challenge the Elite Four!"_

"But what about your…" protested Ash

"_Like I said, my love, you don't have to worry about me. I will have something planned when the time comes,_" replied Latias mysteriously

As much as she wanted to tell Ash about her newfound ability to manipulate reality, Latias kept her secret because for one thing, she did not want to burden Ash any further by making him responsible for knowing she had such an ability, but more importantly, she did not want to give Ash any false hope; for Latias was unsure if she could repeat such an incredible feat again. Truthfully, Latias wasn't even sure if her encounter with Rosabella was real. Ash looked at Latias quizzically as he expected her to explain her answer, but Latias was saved from the trouble of doing so by the return of Tudor from his private conversation with his Pokémon.

"Well?" prompted Tudor, perhaps with a bit more edge in his voice than he intended, "Have you come to a decision yet?"

Stealing one last sideway glance at Latias, Ash faced Tudor and his Skarmory and gave his answer to the Pokémon Researcher loud and clear.

"Yes, Latias and I will accept your offer to train us!"

* * *

**Skarmory and Tudor's foreign dialect sequence:**

**S: **Have you lost your mind?! Do you have any idea what you are doing right now?**  
**

**T: **What? What have I done?

**S: **Do not forget about your order from the headquarters, Gilbert

**Eternara**- French/"Undisclosed region" name for Ever Grande City


	14. Chapter 14: You kiss like

**Author's Note: Valentine's Day upload! Hope you enjoy!**

**Edit: Ok, I realized that the upload date is not really Valentine's Day, but I had no control over that :(**

* * *

**You kiss like…**

Latios was lonely. Of all the feelings in the world, Latios was feeling lonely. Ever since the truth of the incident with Ash, everyone including his best friend Bianca was wary of him. Sitting alone in a corner of Bianca's room at the Pokémon Center, Latios watched Bianca's chest rise and fall peacefully while sound asleep in her bed. Latios couldn't blame her. Feeling responsible for his behavior, Bianca had been working tirelessly with Brock and Misty to locate Ash and his Pokémon lover. From what he could see, Latios knew the search was not going well as the humans once again forced to abandon the search due to late hours. Todays searched ended the third day of fruitless search, and for the third day, Bianca went to bed without wishing Latios a good night.

Latios was impressed by the human's tenacity in their faith at finding their missing friend, for he did not share their optimism. He did not dare to tell Bianca or any others about the degree of injury he had inflicted on Ash, therefore Latios doubted that Ash was even alive at this point. Although he had his doubts, Latios did not dare telling anyone else about it. For now, he was only concerned about finding his sister and finding the reason behind the severed connection with her. Severed psychic connections between siblings Psychic-type Pokémon were in fact rather common, as it simply just meant one or more of them had their powers matured beyond the other. What Latios found unusual was the fact that he did not recall any event that would explain a sudden surge in Latias' growth that would push her power level beyond his. There seemed to be a hopeful way to answer his question, however. Latios had heard of a book from his past frequent trips to Altomare's Great Library, which recorded the habitat, social behavior and different growth stage tendencies. In short, every bits of recordable information about Dragon-type Pokémon and all their applicable evolution chain are contained within this vast compilation of knowledge. Latios hoped that there would be some information about his species which he did not know about that can explain his unusual disconnection from his sister. But as one could imagine, such powerful collection of knowledge is not common in the world. Because of that, it was rumored that there were only a few copies of such valuable book in the Pokémon world. Latios knew locating one of such copies would not be easy, but there was a single human in his mind who he hoped he could ask for help. The idea of requesting assistance from Lando initially made Latios very uncomfortable considering how he had treated the Former Champion and his Pokémon not too long ago. But if it meant there was even a faintest hope at acquiring a way to get his sister back, Latios would do whatever means necessary to obtain it. If Lando required him to beg for mercy on all fours, Latios would gladly do it without a moment of consideration. For Latios, throwing his own life way was considered a trivial matter. Crafting a plan for the day ahead, Latios closed his eyes and went to sleep, once again alone, in a corner of Bianca's room.

The next morning was rather uneventful as usual; Ash's travelling friends got up, broke fast and went on searching for their friend as fast as they could. Naturally, Bianca, Pikachu and rest of Ash's Pokémon tagged alone to help. And naturally, Latios remained behind. When the searching party had departed, Latios put his plans in motion immediately. Casting his mind out, he searched for the presence of Lando and was relieved that the Former Champion had not yet left the Pokémon Center to attend to his daily business. Navigating himself to the front of Lando's room, Latios paused, unsure of what to do next.

"You may enter," said Lando's voice from inside the room.

Momentarily startled, Latios hesitated slightly before complying with Lando's request.

"_You knew I was coming_?" asked Latios as he let himself in.

The interior of Lando's room was slightly different than Bianca's, for it featured a sturdy writing desk with wheeled swivel chair, a personal PC, a simple bed and most peculiar of all, a vending machine. It appeared that Lando was composing some sort of communication at his PC when Latios had entered the room.

"I didn't become one of the Dragon Masters by not learning how to sense the unique presence of Dragon-type," smiled Lando, looking up from his works, "and yours is the most unique of them all."

"_I_ _see…"_ replied Latios

"Now, would you like something to eat or drink?" asked Lando, motioning to the vending machine, "I've a nice selection of Magikarp Oil, Stantler jerky, and oh, you are going to like this, Dried Clamperl innards!"

"_No, thank you,_" said Latios politely

"Are you sure? Those Clamperl innards are expensive imports!"

"_I appreciate your offer but I am going to pass_," said Latios as he once against politely declined Lando's offer.

"Suite yourself," said Lando with a shrug and helped himself with a Rage Candy bar from the machine, "so then, is there anything I can do for you, Latios?"

"_I wish to know if you have any knowledge about 'Draconica'_."

"That's a strange request," said Lando, raising his eyebrow in surprise, "But yes, I do know about this ancient tome you speak of."

Latios' expression spread into a hopeful plea, "_Then perhaps you can me to procure one_?"

"I am afraid that is out of question,' said Lando, his face became clouded with Latios' request.

"_And why not_?" demanded Latios, perhaps a little too aggressively.

"The 'Draconica' is a sacred relic passed down through the clan of Dragon Masters," explained Lando with a sigh, "such item is not for any outsiders to have an access of."

Latios expected answers such as this to become an obstacle, but he was prepared for that. After all he had spent entire night thinking about how he might convince Lando to divulge the location of the book he needed. What Latios did not expect, however, was the immoveable stubbornness of Lando. For the rest of the morning and some parts of the afternoon, Latios pleaded, cajoled, threatened and bargained to no results; for no matter how much he shouted, begged, cried or raged the Former Champion only repeated one single answer back to him: "No".

It was late into the afternoon when Latios finally saw the futility of his efforts and stormed out of Lando's room in a fit of rage. In his anger Latios failed to notice a shadowy figure quickly hid herself around a corner as he zoomed by.

Night fell upon Silver Town in a tranquil blanket of peace. The starry sky and gentle night breeze that sighed contently through the region was a stark contrast against a single occupant in the Pokémon Center who was still awake at such late hour. Sitting alone in a corner of a dark stairwell, the Azure Guardian of Altomare was sobbing so hard that a casual passer-by might say Latios was trying to recreate the canals of his beloved hometown with his tears. Too proud to let his voice wail out like a hatchling, Latios bit on his lower lip to stifle his cry until blood ran down his chin like some grotesque crimson beard. So wallowed in his sorrow, Latios failed to notice a figure had come up from behind and gently tapped him on his shoulder. Snarling in surprise, the blue Eon Pokémon lashed out instinctively, but his attack was easily avoided.

(It's such a waste to spend a night like this by yourself,) said a familiar voice, (Why don't you and I go someplace together?)

Gathering his wits and focusing his mind in the dark, Latios realized it was Lando's Dragonite who had struck up a conversation with him. Quickly wiping away the tears from his eyes and blood from his chin, Latios glared through the dark at the orange dragon in front of him.

"_I am not in the mood for this_," he snapped

(Aww, don't be such a Rock-type,) teased Dragonite playfully, (You will like the place we are going; I am sure of it!)

"_I said I am not interested_," growled Latios, "_If you want someone to keep you company, you better find somebody else_"

Sighing in annoyance at Latios' thickheaded-ness, Dragonite stepped forward and covered his mouth with her hand.

(Look, just shut up and come with me, alright?) said Dragonite impatiently, (I have something important to say and show you, and this place is not suitable for me to do so.)

"_You know, what you're doing really doesn't stop me from talking, right_?"

Latios could had sworn he saw a thick vein popped on Dragonite's temple as she roughly dragged him down the stairs and out the front door of the Pokémon Center without another word.

"_So what's all this about_?" asked Latios when Dragonite finally let go of him.

Under the bright moonlight, Latios could see Dragonite shifted uneasily as if she was unsure of what to say next.

(I am going to help you,) she said eventually.

"_What…?"_

(I've overheard your request with Lando earlier today,) said Dragonite, (and I decided to help you get what you want.)

"_How are you going to do that_?" asked Latios, not believing what he was hearing.

(Well, it just happens that I also know the location of 'Draconica'. It is located in the Sacred Shrine of Dragon Den in Blackthorn City.)

"_Dragon Den, Blackthorn City; I got it_," said Latios hurriedly as he quickly got into his take off position but Dragonite quickly stepped in front of him.

(Just where do you think you are going?) demanded Dragonite, (Do you even have any idea where to go?)

"_No, but_-"

The orange Dragon Pokémon slapped her own forehead with her hand and ran it slowly down to the tip of her nose in an effort to contain her waning patience towards the Azure Guardian.

(Will you please listen to me?) asked Dragonite, half sighing half pleading, (How am I supposed to help you if you go off bouncing everywhere like a Spoink doped up on Carbos?)

"Then what do you suggest I do then?!" demanded Latios in return, his voice contained a desperate edge.

(For starters, why don't you calm down and finish listening to what I have to say,) suggested Dragonite, and when she judged Latios was indeed calm enough, she continued, (The Dragon Den is the most sacred and therefore the most guarded location in Blackthorn City. With Lando's daughter, Clair, the Gym Leader of Blackthorn as their leader, the guards patrol the Den day and night without rest. Which means, even if you were successful in finding Blackthorn City by yourself, it is impossible for you to obtain 'Draconica' without help)

Latios shifted in short jerky motions to show he was impatient.

(You are in luck though, with me helping, I can get you past the guards, avoid the traps and undo the seal placed around the shrine housing the tome you seek.)

"_If this Dragon Den place is as secure as you claim_," sneered Latios in disbelief, "_Do you really think you can pull off all those Tauros droppings you just said_?"

Stiffening her back, Dragonite confronted the blue Eon Pokémon with the best posture of confidence she could muster.

(You need not to be concerned about the details of my plan,) declared the orange Dragon, (Should you consider accepting my help, however, I suggest you decide quickly; if Lando finds out about us right now, you may never get another chance at 'Draconica', therefore the chance to find your sister ever again.)

Latios briefly mulled over Dragonite's words. As much as he hates being indebted to a rival Pokémon, a FEMALE rival Pokémon, Latios quickly came to the decision that Dragonite's words held a lot of merit. Swallowing whatever little pride that was left in him now, Latios nodded his agreement to Dragonite's proposal.

(Splendid! I knew you are capable of making rational decisions if you put your mind into it,) beamed Dragonite in a cheerful smile, (I hope you are ready for a long distant flight without rest as we are short on time and the distance we have to travel is far.)

With that, Dragonite spread her wings and launched herself into the air with a series of powerful strokes. Immediately after, Latios followed Dragonite into the air and the two Dragon Pokémon began their flight to Blackthorn City.

For quite some time, the pair of Dragon Pokémon flew high above the clouds in silence to avoid detection and conserve their energy for flight, but as the sharp peak of Mount Silver became a distant object to their backs, curiosity got better of Latios. Pulling himself closer to Dragonite who was in lead the entire flight, Latios sent a thought to Dragonite which broke the silence between them.

"_Not trying to sound ungrateful, because I really am grateful_," began Latios, "_But why are you disobeying your Trainer to help me_?"

The time it took for Dragonite to answer was so long that Latios thought he was being ignored. Just as he was about to ask again, Dragonite replied.

(Because… there is something about you siblings which fascinate me,) said Dragonite hesitantly, her voice barely audible above the wind rushing past their ears, (Particularly, the one I admire displays dedication… passion… the lone bearer of sacrifices… Just by watching, it compels something deep within me to help, regardless of consequences…)

"_Dragonite, don't tell me you_…"

Realizing that she might have confessed more than she intended to, Dragonite floundered about in attempts to explain her words.

(Uh… I mean, what I was trying to say was-) stammered Dragonite nervously, her words came rushing out in an incoherent jumble.

"…_HAVE A CRUSH ON MY SISTER_?!" exclaimed Latios in stunned surprise, finishing the sentence which he had started.

Dragonite stopped in mid-air so abruptly that Latios flew into her and bounced off her back. Turning around, Latios saw Dragonite was wearing a mask of pure fury; of which he did not understand the reason.

(LATIOS, YOU MORON!) roared Dragonite with such intense force that the sky around the two Dragon Pokémon quaked and every feathers on Latios blew straight back in opposite direction of the orange Dragon Pokémon, (HOW CAN YOU EVER BE SO CLUELESS?!)

Then with a sniffle and an angry huff, Dragonite did an aerial about-face and zoomed off towards Blackthorn City at high speed. Gasping like a Magikarp out of water, Latios could only blankly stare at the diminishing figure of Dragonite in front of him as he tried to figure out what had just transpired.

"_What was that all about_?" muttered Latios in mystified tone, "_all I did was ask a question_…)

Tucking his arms into his body, Latios accelerated into supersonic speed in order to catch up to the fading Dragonite.

The rest of the journey to Blackthorn City continued in a steamy and awkward silence. Throughout the flight, Dragonite would periodically steal heated glances over her shoulders and would let out a low, discontented growl and turn her head away whenever Latios caught her in the act. Latios felt like he should say something in return, but he had no clue as to where to begin. Not wanting to jeopardize the situation further, and thus his mission, he dumbly held his silence in hopes that whatever reason that angered Dragonite would soon blow over. Luckily for Latios, as the two of them approached the sky above Blackthorn City, Dragonite seemed to shake herself out of her personal feelings and became more focused on what was lying ahead of them. Grabbing the blue Eon Pokémon's arm, she quickly guided both of them in a rapid descend towards the outskirts of the city. Landing among a cluster of trees near a yawning cave entrance, Dragonite quickly folded her wings and scanned the surroundings for presence of any living beings.

(Good, looks like we managed to avoid being spotted,) whispered Dragonite. Pointing a claw towards the cave entrance, she directed Latios' attention towards several flicking lights in front of it, (That's the main entrance to the Dragon Den. As you can see, it is heavily guarded.)

Squinting through the dark, Latios saw the flickering lights were actually lanterns carried by patrolling sentries who looked very alert in their posts despite the late hour. Tucking urgently at Latios' elbow, Dragonite guided him towards an inconspicuous looking rock wall and explained as the two of them moved.

(Come, we are going to use a secret access tunnel which the masters and disciples of Dragon Den use to travel between the town and their place of training. It is less guarded than the main entrance; therefore we will have better chance at sneaking in.)

Sure enough, when the two Dragons arrived at the mouth of the access tunnel which was cleverly disguised as a mere crack in the rock wall, Latios saw only two roaming patrols guarding the entrance. Timing their moves perfectly, both Dragonite and Latios successfully infiltrated the access tunnel just as the patrols moved off from the mouth of the tunnel. When his eyes finally adjusted to the brightness from the torches lining the wall of the tunnel interior, Latios realized the reason behind the reduced security. The mouth of the tunnel was merely a doorway, for in front of Latios and Dragonite, the tunnel expanded into a series of identical looking corridors with no markings which twisted and turned into a confounding maze. Undaunted, Dragonite stepped forward to lead the way through the maze. After turning a corner for the fifth time, Latios gave up trying to remember the way back; for he had already lost all sense of direction within the maze. Latios was amazed by the fact that Dragonite was not only able to navigate the maze with unerring accuracy, she was also able to point out various locations where hidden trap mechanisms were located, causing Latios to suspected that Dragonite had indeed used this access tunnel before. When asked about it, Dragonite whispered back in muted voice.

(Yes, as you may have guessed, I had used this tunnel before; many times in fact, for I was hatched here in Blackthorn City and was raised for some time in the Dragon Den.)

"_But I thought you were from Kanto region_," whispered Latios in surprise, even though nobody could hear him except for his intended target.

(I was hatched and raised here, but Lando quickly recognized my potential, so he took me on his journey throughout Kanto to become the Indigo League Champion. Hence, people often had mistaken me as Kanto origin.)

"_Ah, I see… that makes sense_…"

As Latios finished his thoughts, the sound of echoing footsteps reached the ears of Dragonite and Latios, causing the two of them to freeze in shock.

(**Shimatta**!) cursed Dragonite under her breath, (I didn't expect anyone to use this tunnel this late at night!)

The footsteps sounded light and nervous, much unlike a heavy prodding of a sentry as one might expect, but regardless, they continued to close in on the two Dragon Pokémon. Pretty soon, a faint glimmer of a lantern and a long, stretched out shadow appeared around the corner. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, Dragonite instinctively did the only option that came to her mind. Grabbing Latios by his upper forearms, Dragonite pinned the Azure Guardian of Altomare against the smooth wall of the corridor and planted her lips on Latios' just as he was about to open his mouth in a gasp of surprise.

"WOAH!" came a surprised yell from the owner of the footsteps, who turned out to be a young disciple trainee trying to sneak a late night excursion into Blackthorn City. Back-paddling away from Dragonite, the young disciple fell on his behind as he lost his footing.

"Wh…who…who are you?" the young boy asked in squeaky voice.

Dragonite ignored his question and continued her what appeared to be a passionate kiss to the figure in front of her. Due to the way Dragonite had Latios against the wall, the disciple could not tell who or what Dragonite was kissing, so he just assumed that, whoever they were, they were two of his seniors' Pokémon trying to find some private time.

"So…um… I will just… keep walking that way then," stammered the disciple as he picked himself and the lantern up from the floor, "I sincerely apologize for disturbing you…" And with a quick bow, the disciple ran off like a Raticate towards the exit.

(Baaah!) exclaimed Dragonite in an explosive sigh and wiping off her lips after she was sure that the disciple was well out of earshot and was not coming back, (I thought that kid will never leave!)

Calmly smoothing out her scales, Dragonite continued down the maze like corridors like nothing had happened. It was not until she took a few steps before realizing Latios was not following her.

(Oi, what are you doing? Aren't you going to come?) Dragonite called back towards the still figure of Latios. When he did not respond, Dragonite sighed in exasperation and backtracked to him.

(Hey, are you okay? What is the matter with you?)

It was not until she reached Latios did Dragonite find out that the blue Eon Pokémon was simply staring blankly back at her as if he had recently suffered a Dream Eater attack. It was not until after Dragonite had delivered a sharp slap to his cheek did Latios manage to recover his sense.

"_Huh? Who- wha- when- wher- how_?!" mumbled Latios in a stream of incoherent babble, "_Wha- what just happened to me_?"

(Oooh, I get it now…) smirked Dragonite, (That was your first time wasn't it? I should have known… The way you went stiff as a Metapod …)

"_I DID not_!" protested Latios hotly, "_I was just unprepared that's all_!"

(Tsk… tsk… I am rather disappointed in you, Latios,) Dragonite continued with her tease, (Ah… what a waste of potential, to think such handsome Pokémon like you can only think of chasing after his own sister…)

"_Why you_-" began Latios angrily, but Dragonite raised her voice to overwrite his comebacks.

(Alright, that's enough out of you. From the way you are shouting back at me means you had recovered enough. We should get going; we had wasted enough time here.)

With that, Dragonite turned her back to Latios and briskly walked down the corridor. Sputtering with rage, Latios struggled with his thoughts as he was determined to get the last word in. Directing his telepathy at the retreating back of Dragonite, Latios shouted with every ounce of energy he could muster.

"_Well for the record… YOU KISS LIKE MOST FIGHTING TYPE PUNCH_!"


	15. Chapter 15: Ancient Resonance part 1

**Author's Note: Hello all, thank you for all your support and reviews for this story and for being patient with each update of chapters. I realized that some of you might feel like this story had gone off-track a little, but please hang in there, there is only 1 more chapter of filler after this one and we will get back to the hot actions of Ash x Latias!**

**P.S. I have yet to receive response on my question regarding the real life counterpart of Skarmory's accent two chapters ago. Is it because I went overboard with it and nobody was able to decipher it? Is it a bad idea to introduce foreign dialects into the story? Please leave me your opinions, they are very important to me. Thanks in advance!**

* * *

**Resonance of the Ancients, Part 1**

The twisting and turning maze eventually disgorged Latios and Dragonite into a giant cavern with a lake at its center. The ceiling of the cavern was so high that it was hidden by a mass of shadows; giving it an illusion of a void that extended infinitely upward. Below the ceiling was an inky black lake which no doubt was as deep as the ceiling of the cavern was high. Across the far shore from where the two Dragon Pokémon were standing stood an ancient shrine that exuded an aura so solemn and heavy that one could not help but bow in respect as they approach its sacred ground. There were nobody else but Latios and Dragonite in the cavern as the place they were standing in was a restricted area where not even the sentries guarding the Dragon Den were allowed to enter. Other than the lack of living beings at the heart of Dragon Den, was the fact that the entire area was lit by sparsely scattered glowing crystal structures along the edges of the walls, which gave out enough eerie feelings to send a chill down Latios' spine.

(We are very close to our objective,) whispered Dragonite, pointing at the shrine across the lake, (that is the shrine which holds what we are after.)

"_Then what are we waiting for_?" asked Latios impatiently, "_Let's go and finish this already_."

The blue Eon Pokémon made moves to zoom across the wide central lake, but before he could do so, Dragonite grabbed both of his wings from behind and pulled him back.

(Do NOT act so recklessly!) she reprimanded fiercely, (There is a reason why this place appears to be unguarded!)

Motioning Latios to follow her lead, Dragonite flew a short distance over the lake and pointed down into the water. What Latios saw from Dragonite's indication caused him to gulp in fear. Living within the lake were clusters of Dratini and Dragonair; all of them asleep. Although the groups of serpentine Dragon Pokémon appeared to be peacefully asleep, Latios had not a single shred of doubt that all of them will wake up and defend the sacred heart of Dragon Den if they ever sense a slightest bit of disturbance.

(Aren't they just lovely to look at?) said Dragonite with pride and fondness of a senior has for her successful underclassmen, (This is where the best Dragons in the world are raised and educated… Ah, the memories it brings back…)

Latios could only nod dumbly as his mind was still trying to process what kind of disaster he almost caused.

(Those crystals are designed to maximize the amount of shadows produced in this area,) explained Dragonite, (Anyone trying to cross the lake without permission; their shadows will arouse all the denizens of the lake.)

"_Yes, I see that now_," said Latios sheepishly, "_I am sorry_…" he added in soft, meek voice.

Dragonite could not help but smile a bit at the Eon Pokémon's apology, but she quickly shook herself out of it and put on a stern expression.

(Well, see to it that you won't do something stupid like that again,) said Dragonite, (Now, follow me very carefully.)

The journey across the lake became an excruciatingly slow as both Latios and Dragonite were forced to meander around the clusters of Dragon Pokémon sleeping underneath them. Powerful as both of them were, they knew stirring up a lake full of well-trained Dratini and Dragonair in the middle of the night was more than a terrible idea; it would be downright suicidal. Edging past a particularly close group of Dratini while forced to perform some ridiculous body contortions to avoid casting a shadow over them, Dragonite lost her balance of her flight. Nanoseconds flowed like molasses as the falling orange Dragon Pokémon felt the sense of impending doom, fear and dread. As she fell, she instinctively extended her hand towards the infinite void above her in a silent plea of help. Closing her eyes, she accepted the inevitable and prepared her body for the giant splash that was about to come. The final thoughts that flashed through Dragonite's mind was how she had failed fulfill her promise to Latios.

-Plop!-

Dragonite felt as if she had hit a solid cushion of air as her ungraceful descend came to an abrupt halt. Gingerly opening her eyes, she saw a pair of glowing blue eyes staring back at her. Latios had somehow stopped her from tumbling into the water with his psychic ability, but it was not before the tip of tail dipped below the surface of the lake. The resulting sound of tail hitting the water sounded deafening to the intruding Dragon Pokémon as they held their breath and braced for the worst. Carefully peering into the water, Dragonite checked the cluster of Dratini below her. One of the Dratini in the group twitched and yawned.

(_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no_!) thought Dragonite in panic, (_Go back to sleep… sleep…SSSLLLEEEPP…)_

Above her, Latios was having a problem of his own. The combined stress from having to hold Dragonite up with both of his hands and the mounting tension caused a drop of sweat to roll down the side of his face.

"_Oh, not good! That's not good!_" panicked Latios in his mind, fully well understanding that a second disturbance of the lake's surface will definitely expose both Dragonite and him. It seemed however, the more Latios panicked the faster the drop of sweat traveled down his cheek. Suddenly, the fate of their mission, no, in fact the very fate of the lives of the two intruders became dependent to the tiny drop of liquid creeping inexorably down towards the inky surface of the Dragon Den Lake. All actions in the world came to a standstill as Latios watched the creatures in the lake with pounding heart while desperately trying to reel in Dragonite without causing anymore disturbances to the water.

Sweat rolled to Latios' chin…

… Dragonite wobbled slightly…

…Underneath, Dratini twitched her snout…

… The drop of sweat had reached the end of Latios' chin; now forming into a droplet ready to fall.

In one desperate gamble, Latios summon forth all this mental energy and yanked Dragonite away from the surface of the lake. With one smooth motion, Latios pulled Dragonite into a rough embrace, performed a barrel-roll so that his back was to the lake, and activated his light-bending ability to render him invisible.

-PLOP!-

The sound of the sweat droplet hitting the water was so thunderous compared to the previous disturbance that Latios was certain that he had woken up the entire lake. Fortunately for both Dragonite and Latios, only the single light sleeper Dratini was disturbed. Cracking open her eyes slowly, the Dratini looked upward through the still rippling surface of the lake to see just who or what had disturbed her much needed beauty sleep. She saw nothing, as Dragonite, shielded by Latios' frame, remained hidden thanks to the blue Eon Pokémon's ability. A stream of bubbles escaped from Dratini as she apparently heaved a sigh of annoyance and went back to sleep; with her head on the belly of one of her cluster-mate, and her tail on the face of another. The rest of the journey across the lake went on without any further set back after both Dragons remain hidden for a few extra minutes as a precaution. Upon reaching the shore where the shrine was located, Latios released his hold on Dragonite so they don't have to maintain their awkward positions, but the Former Champion's Pokémon held on tightly.

(Thank you,) whispered Dragonite softly into Latios' ear, (thank you for what you've done for me back there; I shall not forget this…)

Although Latios was uncertain at the time, he thought he had felt Dragonite shivering against his body. Slowly sliding her arms off from Latios' neck, Dragonite smiled and nodded towards the closed double-door of the Dragon Shrine.

(Well, shall we?)

With the combined might of the two Dragon Pokémon pushing against them, the doors of Dragon Shrine swung open like the maws of a giant creature. As soon as both Dragonite and Latios stepped into the interior of the shrine, the heavy double-door swung close with a loud boom, leaving the two Pokémon in the dark. Somewhere in the dark, Latios felt Dragonite waved her arm in a wide sweeping motion. Mysteriously, the torches lining the walls of the shrine began to light up one after the other until the inside of the shrine was basked in orange glow of torch light. Looking around in fascination, Latios found out the interior of the shrine appeared larger than the structure from outside due to the lack of furniture and decors. The shrine, unlike what Latios had imagined, was simply a large single room with wooden floor, bare walls except for the far wall opposite of him and an altar at the center. As Dragonite motioned him to approach the altar, Latios noticed it was carved out of a single piece of solid granite into a perfect circle. Decorating the circular altar were various runes and symbols. And to Latios' great discomfort, the design of the altar reminded him of the platform to where he was restrained in order to power the DMA when Team Rocket invaded his beloved Water City. Even though that incident was nearly half a year ago, Latios could still remember every bit of suffering he had been through as if it was only a few minutes ago. Shivering slightly, Latios forced himself to look away from the altar and back at Dragonite, who was watching him closely all this time.

"_So, where is the Draconica?_" asked Latios curiously, "_I don't see it anywhere._"

Instead of answering him directly, Dragonite took out an Item Capsule from somewhere between the gaps of her chest scales. The Item Capsules are marvels of storage technology in the Pokémon World inspired by the pokeball development. Designed in very similar manner as the pokeball, the Item Capsule "captures" the intended item no matter its size and stores it. The Capsule could then be re-sized as needed for ease of transportation. The invention of Item Capsules became a great boon to Pokémon Trainers around the world, as they allowed Trainers and their Pokémon to carry and use supplies and equipment that would otherwise be impossible to access under any normal circumstances. With a press on the release button, the Item Capsule expanded and burst open to reveal a set of ceremonial attire. Gathering up the attire from the floor, Dragonite pushed the armful of clothing in Latios' direction and looked at him expectantly.

"_Uh… what do you want me to do?_" asked Latios his confusion about Dragonite's intention was clear on his expression.

(There is another reason behind the apparent lack of security at the heart of Dragon Den,) said Dragonite, (See that wall over there? The Draconica is located behind it, but the only way to gain access is to perform a sacred ritual to purify the candidate's body and soul. Otherwise, the wall will not open no matter what you try.)

"_That's ridiculous!" _snorted Latios, "_the book is behind that far wall, right? Good… now watch this_!"

Squaring his shoulders confidently, Latios situated himself directly across from the center of the wall and sent a blast of his most powerful Luster Purge at it. The result was disastrous. As the column of glimmering psychic attack made contact with the wall, it rebounded with twice the force and careened into Latios with righteous fury. The Eon Pokémon stood no chance. Before he even knew what was happening, Latios bounced and cartwheeled a few times across the length of the shrine before he came to a sprawling halt.

"_O…Okay…"_ groaned Latios, as he noticed Dragonite raised an eyebrow in amusement, "_I believe you now…_ "

Floating back to Dragonite, Latios wordlessly received the bundle of ceremonial attire from her. Examining the clothing closely, Latios noticed the set of attire consisted of a flowing gown-like robe, a sash and a piece of overly decorated headgear. It was the robe which interested Latios most. Bluish white in color, the robe was woven out of top grade Silcoon's silk with images of various Dragon-Pokémon stitched on to it. The robe was so finely woven that, it seemed to flow in Latios' arms, and each time the robe moved the images of Dragons came alive and animated across the fabric in a hypnotic allure.

(Fascinating, isn't it?) the voice of Dragonite snapped Latios out of his dream like trance from watching the images on the robe, (It is known as the Grand Master's robe. It is only given to those who had achieved the highest rank in Dragon Den and usually only worn during important ceremonies.)

"_So, you want me to put this on?_" asked Latios curiously, for he couldn't figure out where to begin.

(No, silly,) chuckled Dragonite, (I want you to help me into it,) turning her back to Latios, she waited with her arms outstretched, (Go on, what are you waiting for?)

Latios hesitated. Floating behind Dragonite suddenly made him nervous and Latios could not figure out why. This was not his first time looking at the back of a female Pokémon; for on countless occasions he had helped his sister Latias wash her back when they bathed together with Bianca back in Altomare. Thus, Latios could not feel but alarmed when his hands started trembling as he helped the orange Dragon Pokémon pull on the sleeves of the robe in shaky motions. Latios' dilemma became more problematic when it was time to help Dragonite to put on her sash. Woven with the same material as the robe, the lengthy piece of fabric was design to wrap around the wearer a few times before securing the robe by tying the sash in a knot behind the wearer. Reaching around Dragonite's waist, Latios began to circle the silk belt around Dragonite, all the while conscious about how he was uncomfortably close to the female Dragon in front of him. Try hard as he might, Latios was struggling to keep unsavory thoughts away from his mind while he hands traced the curvy contours of Dragonite through the smooth feeling of Silcoon silk. It was in one of these inner struggle did a stray thought sneaked past Latios' guard, causing his already nervous hands to wander and come in contact with two soft spots beneath Dragonite's chest scales. With a sharp intake of breath, Dragonite instinctively slammed her right elbow backward into Latios' stomach and her tail upward from underneath him. Poor Latios keeled over so fast that he did not even have time to regret for what he had done. Whirling around, Dragonite saw the Azure Guardian clutching the lower half of his body with his face contorted in indescribable pain.

(Oh, quit your whining,) said Dragonite impatiently, prodding Latios with one of her toes, (I didn't even hit you that hard! You are acting like I've hit you in your… Oh…) Dragonite's voice trailed off in a tone of realization.

"_Nnnngggghhhh,"_ was all Latios could manage to groan through gritted teeth.

(I did not realize you are capable of doing 'THAT' as a Legendary,) said Dragonite with great interest, (You're such an interesting Pokémon! You fascinate me, you know that?)

"_Ggghh… I… hate… you…_" replied Latios forcefully through his pain, "_You have absolutely no idea what I am going through right now!_"

Despite watching Latios suffering on the floor as he began to rock back and forth in spot with droplets of tears forming in the corners of his eyes, Dragonite could not help but to harbor naughty thoughts about having fun with Latios. Lowering and arching her body length-wise over Latios, Dragonite made sure that her scales gently brush against the tips of Latios' feathers as she slid her body over his.

(Well, how in the world did you find out?) whispered Dragonite in mock surprise as she pressed her face against Latios' ear, (For you see, I have no idea what *I*am going through myself either.)

Underneath Dragonite, the rational part of Latios' mind triggered every single instinct regarding self-preservation and survival known by a creature; to flee as far away from the Pokémon of the Former Champion and never look back, but strangely enough, his body refused to comply and remained rooted to the spot. Reaching the claws of her right arm beneath the soft feathers of the blue Eon Pokémon, Dragonite began to trace the shape of Latios' neck at a slow, teasing rate.

(All my studying and trainings have taught me many things, but they did not teach me how to deal with this… 'Feeling'…) continued Dragonite in soft whisper.

There were many times Latios appreciated the life-like imitation of his corporeal form, but for the first time since his transcendence, he hated such aspect of his form. For right now, the imitation of life felt too real, MUCH too real. Deep within Latios, the core of the Soul Dew went into overdrive, which made Latios quicken his breath as he felt a wave of heat course throughout his body.

"_What…do you want from me?_" stammered Latios uneasily; all pains from his humiliation were completely gone from his mind.

(I was hoping you might be able to help me with this 'feeling' of mine,) murmured Dragonite, leaning her cheek softly against Latios'; her claws had traced FAR below his wing levels now, (It feels… It feels like… like…) Dragonite's voice faded into nothing as her hand stopped just right above Latios' tail.

"_Well… W-w-what does it feel like_…?" asked Latios, fighting with all his might to resist the intoxicating smell of Stantler jerky and Poffins in Dragonite's breath.

(It feels… something like… THIS!) replied Dragonite mischievously right as she grabbed a fistful of tail feathers and gave it a savage tug.

"_GGGGAAAAAHHHHHH_!"

With a terrible yowl like a Skitty whose tail had been stepped on by a herd of stampeding Rapidash, Latios shot out from underneath Dragonite faster than any being in the world thought he was capable of.

(See? You're fine,) said Dragonite as she dusted herself off and threw away the feathers disdainfully, (I knew it was just an act.)

"_One of these days, Dragonite,_" spat Latios hatefully as he twisted and turned his neck frantically around trying to find the spot of missing feathers, _"One of these days, I will find and flush your pokeball down a drain with you in it!_"

(Ha-ha, yeah right… Promises…) said Dragonite, rolling her eyes at Latios' silly threat, (Now, quit fooling around, we got a mission to accomplish.)

After finish putting on her ceremonial attire, Dragonite instructed Latios to lie on the central altar in order for her to begin the ritual to open the wall guarding the sacred tome of the Dragons. Even though Latios was very reluctant to put himself onto the altar, he saw there was no other choice, so he grudgingly complied with Dragonite's instruction. Per instruction, Latios closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander into meditative trance as Dragonite began to hum a tune of haunting melody. As the ritual progressed, Latios fell into semi-unconsciousness as his mind began to form vague images. Suddenly his mind exploded into vortices of light and shadow as torrents of indistinguishable images and sounds flew by him at blurring speed. The sensation was very peculiar for Latios because he felt as if his entire being was being pulled through the fabric of time and space, while in the corner of his mind he knew his physical body remained in Dragon Shrine. As abruptly as it had started the rushing images came to a sudden halt, revealing to Latios that he was once again himself and looking through his own eyes. He was in an environment which he did not recognize and had no idea as to how he got there.

"You are LATE, acolyte!" scolded a gruff sounding voice in a perfect human tone near Latios.

Jumping back in astonishment, Latios whirled around to identify the source of the voice. To his utter amazement, he came face-to-face with another Latios; except the new Latios was huge. At least twice the size of the Azure Guardian, the new Latios could easily dwarf any human or his sister Latias if they were to stand in front of the new Latios. Judging by the gray streaks of feathers that lined the blue part of Latios' new discovery, it would appear that the newcomer was also ancient.

"_Whoa! Who are you and what are you doing here?!_" demanded Latios, his words came spilling out in a hurry.

The new Latios clenched his claws into a fist and brought it smashing down on top of Latios' head.

"Now, how many times must I tell you to stop using such vulgar form of communication?!" shouted the new Latios angrily, "For Alchemy sake, acolyte, will you at least TRY to remember my teachings for once?"

"O-ow, I am sorry!" answered Latios in reflex, tenderly hugging his throbbing head. Then it hit him. Freezing in surprise, Latios just realized that he had talked like a human and the Latios before him. Words formed in his mouth and his throat produced sounds effortlessly just like any humans would in the world. Afraid and excited at the same time, Latios decided to try out his newfound talent just to be sure he was not hallucinating.

"So… who are you and what are you doing here, again?" asked Latios. Once again, words came out of him in clear and young sounding voice. The ancient Latios narrowed his eyes dangerously as the aura of impatience rippled out of him in waves.

"What's matter with you, boy?" demanded new Latios, "Have you lost your mind during the Self-Purification ritual?"

"I…I think so…" replied Latios rather truthfully, for he was still struggling to grasp what is happening around him.

A huge sigh issued from the ancient Latios as his whole frame seemed to deflate in defeat.

"This is why you don't put an acolyte to this kind of task…" he grumbled, "I do NOT know what High Priestess Euphemia was thinking when she chose you…" Nodding to the door behind him, the new Latios made motions that indicate his young acolyte to follow him, "Very well, let's get moving, I will try to fill in what your pathetic mind had lost while we move. We are late as it is…"

Seeing that arguing will get him nowhere, Latios decided to obey. Through the door, both Latios floated down a wide corridor lined with lit torches and walls carved with primitive looking runes. The new Latios coughed to clear his throat and began to narrate.

"I am Lord Xaven, High Alchemist of our beloved Alchemist Empire, Grand Master of the Academy, Templar First Class of the Rune Knights," proclaimed Lord Xaven with all the pomp and self-importance one could expect from a nobility, "You, are one of the many countless acolytes studying in the Academy, hoping one day to become someone as great as I am. But of course, in your case, this world will come to end before THAT happens." Lord Xaven finished with an obnoxious and haughty laugh.

Ignoring the snide remarks about his supposed incompetence, Latios decided to ask about the phenomenon that is happening to him.

"So, can you please tell me what is going on around here? High Priestess? The Alchemist Empire? The Academy? I am so confused!" said Latios, "My Lord…" he added hastily as Lord Xaven suddenly stopped to glare at Latios for omitting his nobility title.

"The Alchemist Empire, my poor and broken acolyte, is where you and I belong and serve", sneered the High Alchemist, "The name stems from our species, the 'Alchemist Pokémon' which was given to us by the beings in this world. None can wield the power of Psychic as we do, as result our species shaped the world as we saw fit; our territory spans all known landmass in the world. Those who did not submit to our rule, we simply obliterated. The humans kneel before us like slaves they are. All other Pokémon dare not challenge the Empire's hegemony. Ah, acolyte, if only you can comprehend such glory…"

Lord Xaven paused to sigh in content at his own propaganda.

"High Priestess Euphemia is our glorious leader and one of the most accomplished Alchemist in history. Today, she will display her new breakthrough in the Art of Transmutation to everyone in the Empire."

The air around the two Latios suddenly turned freezing cold as Lord Xaven channeled his psychic power into his words to serve as extra warning to he was about to say.

"Your task, acolyte, is to assist the High Priestess in every way possible. For your own sake, you will do well NOT to fail the expectation the High Priestess has placed on you."

"I will do my best, my lord."

"Oh, I am sure you will," sniffed Lord Xaven dryly.

Upon reaching the end of the corridor, Lord Xaven pushed opened a set of heavy iron doors with his mind as effortlessly as lifting a pebble off the ground. The sight which greeted the Azure Guardian took his breath away. Assembled at the base of a tall pyramid like structure was a giant crowd of Latios and Latias cheering at him in a single unified roar. There must be hundreds, no, thousands of them gathered. Lining both sides of a path cleared to the base of the pyramid structure were Latios and Latias in shining metal armor whom Latios deduced as the Rune Knights. Next thing the Azure Guardian noticed was the material which the pyramid and the surround structures were built out of. Unlike the modern bricks and concrete that Latios was familiar with, they were built entirely out of roughhewn stones. It was precisely at this time Latios finally understood the meaning of his vision.

Unbelievable as it might sound; somehow the ritual Dragonite performed on him back at the Dragon Shrine transported his mind through the fabric of time into the ancient past. The "visions" he had been experiencing were not visions at all, but rather a real experience of a young acolyte from the unknown Alchemist Empire. Somehow, somewhere through the ritual process, Latios' consciousness had replaced the mind of the acolyte and had been experiencing everything instead of the acolyte. Having realized this fact, fear and uncertainty filled the entire being of Latios.

_What is going to happen to him now? How does everything he is experiencing now relate to opening the wall guarding Draconica? Is there a reason why he is supposed to experience the past? When will the experience end? Will it even end? Is he trapped in the past forever?_

During the whole time Latios was having his doom and gloom thoughts, he was being led by Lord Xaven down the path and up the stairs of the pyramid structure. Before Latios could even decide whether or not to freak out, he found himself at the flat top of the pyramid facing a Latias about his size with golden eyes just like his sister. The very first thing Latios' brain registered before Lord Xaven roughly forced him into a prostrating position was the fact that High Priestess Euphemia was wearing the same ceremonial attire worn by Dragonite.

"Stand…" said a voice that echoed with power.

After standing up from his prostrating position, Latios was made to stand in the center of a circle marked with various alchemy symbols and formulas. Facing the High Priestess, Latios shifted uneasily as he watched the priestess clasped her hands and closed her in preparation to the task ahead, while Lord Xaven made proclamations to the crowd below in his sonorous voice. A sudden hush descended upon the base of the pyramid as the crowd waited with bated breath in anticipation of the High Priestess's new discovery in Alchemy.

"Hah!"

With an exclamation of effort, High Priestess Euphemia's golden eyes flew open and a golden wave of psychic energy so powerful and dense that it was visible to naked eyes washed over Latios.

Pain… Mind numbing and all erasing pain… It was pain that dominated Latios' world for the next few moments which felt like centuries to the blue Dragon Pokémon. His mind felt that it had turned into molten lava; his bones, his flesh and his skin bubbled and boiled; his entire frame twisted and churned as it began to restructure itself. Latios screamed and screamed and screamed. He screamed for what appeared to be an eternity without understanding the reason behind his torture. Presently, the pains began to mellow out into dull throbbing and his senses started to return to him. Latios was on all fours now; he could taste the bitterness of his own vomit in his mouth as his breath came in short panting sobs. Tears, snorts and spittle flowed freely down toward his two hands and ten fingers…

… Two hands and ten fingers…

Latios sat back in shock as the jolt allowed him to fully recover his senses. The crowd was cheering and stirring itself into mass hysteria beneath the pyramid, while Lord Xaven rushed forward to support the now weakened High Priestess as she slumped over in exhaustion. Latios caught the image of his own reflection from the silver ornaments decorating the High Priestess's headpiece and let out a terrified scream which was promptly overwritten by the roar of the crowd below…

… For staring back at him in the reflection was a naked human teenage boy with blue hair and red eyes…

* * *

**Author's Note: As I've mentioned above, your comments and reviews are essential to improving the quality of my writings. Not only do they encourage me to write more, they also encourage me to explore new elements to keep this story interesting. Without your help, this story will quickly be reduced to mere walls of text. Please help me to prevent such things from happening! So don't forget to review, and I hoped that you had enjoyed the latest chapter as much as the ones before it.**

**P.S. Latios, bend over, it's "Kairyu" time for you! :D**


	16. Chapter 16: Ancient Resonance part 2

**Author's Note: I would like to thank each and everyone of you for your unwavering support in my story and for reviewing it to make it better. I would like to give a special thanks to for their helpful insights and correspondence. I would also like to give a special shout-out to our honored guest, "Aura theory" for their helpful suggestion and for correcting grammatical errors in Chapter 9.**

**Although, it that case I was aware that I should use the 2nd person imperative form, "Riposa in pace", but at the time I thought it did not carry enough weight to convey the impending doom for Latios. So I took the liberty of replacing it with "Riposare", the infinitive form. With that said, however, I shall be extra careful when utilizing foreign language in my story in future. **

**Without further ado, below is my new chapter. I hope you don't get tired from reading it!**

* * *

**Resonance of the Ancients, Part 2**

Latios woke up refreshed and ready as he yawned and stretched, feeling as fresh as anyone could after a long night. Sunlight of the desert-like climate of the Alchemist Empire poured in brightly into the room where he now resides. It had been a week since Latios had been trapped within the vision like reality, or in his case, reality like vision with no sign off ending. By now, Latios knew everyone had found out his attempt to steal the Draconica and that his empty husk of a body is now lying on the altar of Dragon Shrine. The Azure Guardian sat up in his oversized feathery bed where he contemplated about the things that happened to him since his transformation at the hands of the High Priestess. Shortly after he was transformed, Latios was quickly escorted away from the ceremony area to a grand palace built out of white marble, which he later found out was the residence of High Priestess Euphemia. There in the palace, Latios was given robe-like clothing crafted out of the finest cotton and fleece harvested from the stock of the Empire's best Swablu and Mareep. He was then fed with the most exotic cuisine of the Alchemist Empire had; all without a single word of explanation. The only pieces of information he was sure about so far was the fact that High Priestess Euphemia had expended too much of her power for her demonstration, and was bed-ridden until her recovery, and that he was confined to the room that was given to him.

Latios carefully stepped out of his feathery bed and onto the squishy marshmallow-like floor. Wobbling shakily on his lanky legs as he was still adjusting to walking as opposed to flying all the time, Latios was glad that he had discovered a new ability. The quality of the bedroom's floor was Latios' doing. On his first day in the marble palace, Latios had forgotten he could no longer fly after his transformation. So when he woke up from his sleep, he leaped from his bed like he had done so many times before, expecting to stay afloat. Of course that did not happen. Crashing face first onto the unyielding marble floor, Latios came away with a broken nose, shattered jaw and a collection of twists and sprains throughout his frail human body. Luckily for Latios, skilled Alchemist healers were able to transmute his injuries to whole again, but the experience which he had been through had put a fear of walking into him, so for the next couple of days Latios refused to get out of his bed. Eventually, Latios realized that in order to wake up from his vision, he might have to escape the room he was trapped in, so unwillingly, Latios stepped out of his bed and began to practice using his legs.

It was during his practice session Latios had discover a dormant new power after falling repeatedly onto the cold, hard marble floor. Feeling frustrated as he massaged a bruise on his shin, Latios wished with all his heart that the floor of his room was made of softer material. Just as he did so, golden lines of psychic energy began to flow out of his fingertips much to his horror and surprise. The wave of energy engulfed the floor for a few breath-taking seconds and dissipated without a trace. With pounding heart, Latios ran his hand over the marble floor. Although the floor looked as if it was made of white marble, it now adopted softness of a sponge. Excited with his newfound power of Alchemy and bolstered hope, Latios began to plan for his escape in earnest. After making modifications in the walls to allow him to overhear any passing conversation, Latios began to gather information about the Alchemist Empire and looked any chances that will allow his escape.

Through his observation, Latios was able to learn quite a lot about the mysterious Alchemist Empire. According to his own estimates, Latios figured that a few thousand years ago, there somehow existed a large population of Latios and Latias in the Pokémon World both numerous and powerful enough to subjugate other living beings to form a grand empire. Latios deduced that the key to his ancestors' success was their power of Alchemy, a mysterious way of Psychic manipulation that was somehow unknown to Latios and his sister in the modern time. He also learned that the Empire was divided into a strict caste system. At the very top, of course, were the Alchemists, who wielded unfathomable amount of psychic energy. These Alchemists were the leaders and elites of the Empire. Next step down was the part of society without such powers, which Latios dubbed as the "Commons". These Commons consisted of acolytes, Latios and Latias without power and other types of Pokémon within the Empire. The Commons in the Empire generally strife to become part of the Alchemist elites by becoming an acolyte or simply continue their existence under the shadows of the Alchemists; which was the case for all other types of Pokémon within the Empire. Last but not least were the Humans, and it was this part of the society which interested Latios the most. Overall, the humans made up the majority of the population, with even a few kingdoms formed as a vassal to the Alchemist Empire. Despite such fact, they were also the most repressed race in the society. Only being limited as slaves and servants to the Alchemists outside of their established kingdoms, the humans only knew a life of servitude under the rule of Alchemist Empire. Although generally the humans were treated fairly by their masters, Latios could not help but to feel sorry for them as the only two things the humans were best at were groveling and serving.

Looking out of the window and out onto the sprawling landscape of the Alchemist Empire, Latios contemplated without enthusiasm about his escape plan. Even if he managed to escape from the palace, his human form would attract too much suspicion wandering around alone. Not to mention the entire empire probably witness his transformation, therefore traveling without a disguise would be out of the question. Latios was so engrossed with his musing about his shrinking possibilities that he almost failed to notice the locks to his room were being undone and the door to his room swung open with a groan. Whirling around so fast that he almost lost his balance again, Latios saw High Priestess Euphemia entered the room flanked by two Rune Knights who acted as her guards.

"You are in the sacred presence of the High Priestess," said one of them sternly, "You will show your respect!"

Latios remained standing; he refused to kneel to someone who not only had turned his life upside-down, but also kept him prisoner for a week without explanation.

"I said, 'on your knees', trash!" roared the Rune Knight.

Latios felt a heavy column of psychic energy crash down on his shoulders, causing his weak human legs to crumble from underneath him. Struggling to lift his head up to stare defiantly back at the Rune Knight who had a satisfied smug on his face watching Latios suffer. High Priestess Euphemia lifted one of her arm, and immediately the Rune Knight ceased his action and returned to his previous position with a quick bow.

"Leave us," she commanded

Without another word, the Rune Knights left the room and closed the door behind them.

"I hope you are making progress with your adjustments," said the High Priestess, helping Latios up with her psychic.

"Why are you here?" spat Latios venomously, ignoring the High Priestess' concern.

The question seemed to surprise the High Priestess.

"What do you mean? I am here to check on you to see if you are adjusting well for you upcoming marriage…"

"Marriage?" asked Latios, his eyes widened at the sudden shock the word had brought him.

"Yes, marriage…" said High Priestess Euphemia slowly, with a hint of concern in her eyes, "You know, the one Empire had arranged for the human Kingdom of Umekcht… The Kingdom lacks a male heir to continue its line so the Empire decided to provide a suitable Prince as a show of good faith…"

High Priestess stopped short with her explanation as she sensed something was amiss. With each words Latios' confusion deepened, which in turn alarmed the High Priestess.

"You mean… I… I was transformed for the purpose of this arranged marriage?" stammered Latios, with a touch of fear cracking his voice.

"Yes, of course," replied the High Priestess, her brows creased with a mixture of confusion and concern, "The selection process had been going on for months…"

At this point Latios looked as if he was about to faint. Thinking quickly, High Priestess Euphemia caught Latios just as he legs gave out and carried him to his bed. Rubbing his temples slowly, Latios sat up with his eyes slightly unfocused.

"This… all this time… I don't believe it!" breathed Latios

By now, the High Priestess was sure that there was something seriously wrong with Latios. With her eyes glowing blue, the High Priestess stared straight into Latios' eyes and pierced into the inner sanctum of his mind.

"You are not an acolyte!" exclaimed High Priestess Euphemia, taking an involuntary step back with her eyes wide and round as two pristine yellow sapphires, "Nor are you from this time period for that matter."

Regaining her composure, the High Priestess looked curiously at the human-shaped Latios in front of her.

"Who are you," she asked, "Just how and why are you in the mind of an acolyte?"

Latios was thoroughly impressed by the High Priestess' ability to recover from shock. But then again, Latios reasoned that nothing in the world would surprise someone who has the power and ability to transmute a Pokémon into a human being for long.

"I… I don't know," replied Latios hesitantly, "I don't know anything, anymore. I feel lost… I AM lost; lost within this unending vision of mine."

Floating forward, High Priestess Euphemia placed a hand over Latios' heart. The warm and soothing feeling of her hand was a great boon to calm Latios' jittery nerves. Closing her eyes, the High Priestess began to hum a tune which sounded very familiar to Latios.

"You had been sent here to discover what you had lost," intoned High Priestess Euphemia, after she had finished humming; her voice was mysteriously echoing with power, "… To discover your Past and Inheritance; now it's time for you to go back and claim it."

"Wait, what you mean by…" began Latios, but he was interrupted as High Priestess Euphemia continued to speak.

"… Always remember, wherever you go, the knowledge of the Ancient will always be with you…"

With that, Latios' vision began to fade to white.

Back at the Dragon Shrine, Latios woke up with a start and gasped like someone who had been holding on to their breath for too long.

(Ah, there you go,) said a friendly voice from nearby, (How do you feel?)

Latios did a quick scan around the torch-lit interior of the shrine and found to his surprise, Lando's Dragonite was kneeling next to him.

"Tioooos!" Without thinking, Latios attempted to reply using his voice like he was so accustomed to in his vision, but was surprised to hear only his regular Pokémon sound came out.

"_What are you doing here?_" asked Latios, switching back to his telepathy.

(What else do you think?) teased Dragonite, (For the past hour I was staring at you, trying to figure out what you will look like without all those feathers on you!)

"_For the past… hour?_" repeated Latios dumbly, as his mind was incapable of comprehending the words he just heard.

Thinking quickly, Latios made sure he was not experiencing another vision by doing a quick introspection. Reaching deep into the crevasse of his mind, Latios felt the unmistakable pulsing of the Soul Dew which provided him the energy to maintain his semi-existence in the world.

(Well?) asked Dragonite, looking at the Azure Guardian expectantly.

"_Well, what?"_

(Were you able to cleanse yourself in the Pool of Purification?) asked Dragonite, indicating the sealed wall of Dragon Shrine, (If you did, why the wall is still sealed?)

"_Uh, I don't think I experienced the same vision as what you had in mind for me…_" said Latios carefully.

Although Latios knew that he was short on time, he took all the necessary time to explain his journey in the unknown past in detail to the orange Dragon Pokémon. When Latios was done with his narration, Dragonite's expression was a mixture of disbelief, intrigue and fear.

(That is… unbelievable,) breathed Dragonite with a soft whistle at the end, (It's beyond unbelievable! An ancient Empire that nobody had heard of; Pokémon turning Pokémon into humans; the power of Alchemy… Do you have any idea what you had just told me, Latios? Any sane being in the world will say you are suffering from massive overdose of Shroomish Powder with healthy overexposure to Confuse Ray!)

"_I know it sounds ridiculous,_" replied Latios hotly, "_But_ _I know what I've seen and I am certainly sure that I am NOT insane!_"

(I don't know, Latios,) said Dragonite, shaking her head sadly, (Nothing like what you had experienced ever happened in the long history of Dragon Den. The only explanations I can think of right now are that something had gone horribly wrong with the ritual…) Dragonite looked at Latios with pity and concern in her eyes, (… or… there is something fundamentally wrong with you…)

"_There is nothing wrong with me!_" shouted Latios indignantly, springing up from the altar in anger.

Right as he did, Latios had discovered a series of ancient runes glowing in mysterious light at the very center of the circular granite altar. What surprised Latios even more was not only did he not recall those runes when he first got onto the altar, but he realized that the series of runes formed a word in Ancient Language, and that he could somehow understand it.

"_Hey, look, there is something strange on the altar!_" exclaimed Latios excitedly.

(Yup, there he goes,) said Dragonite, nodding to herself, (the first sign of insanity: Hallucination…)

"_Will you shut up and take a look at this?!_" demanded Latios

Rolling her eyes in disbelief, Dragonite decided to entertain the crazy blue Eon Pokémon. Peering carefully at the spot Latios was indicating, Dragonite squinted hard in attempt to discover what Latios was talking about.

(Alright, I see a circular polished granite altar with a dim reflection of your face on it,) described Dragonite sarcastically, (Beside the fact that your face looks lopsided in the reflection, I find nothing else that appears strange.)

"_Look, let's not play games here," _said Latios impatiently, "_I know you are getting kicks out of pretending that I am insane or something, but let's keep in mind why we are here in the first place!_"

(But I am serious,) replied Dragonite solemnly, (I really don't see…)

"_How can you not see it?! It's RIGHT there under your-" _Latios stopped short as a sudden realization dawned upon him. Perhaps Dragonite was not teasing him after all. Perhaps Latios was the only one in the Dragon Shrine who was able to read the mysterious runes. When Latios thought about it calmly, about the strangeness in the glow of the runes, he became more convinced about his theory. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Latios began to think of a way to explain what he saw to Dragonite.

"_Look, I know you can't see them, but they're there,_" began Latios, "_The runes form a word in Ancient Language, but for some reason, I can read it…_"

(So, what does it say?) asked Dragonite in mock curiosity. It seemed to her that by playing along with Latios' little game was the fasted way to make him realize his foolishness.

"_It reads… it reads… Mm..Mer… 'Mervira'"_ said Latios, struggling a bit with the word's strange pronunciation.

The two Dragon Pokémon in the shrine were totally unprepared for what happened next. With a deep rumbling that seemed to shake the very core of Dragon Den, hidden mechanisms that had been dormant for countless ages began wake up from their long slumber. Leaping back in alarm, Latios and Dragonite watched with horror and fascination as the granite altar sank into the ground and the floor of the Dragon Shrine retracted to reveal a long and narrow tunnel leading down into the bowel of the earth. After the rumbling had stopped with a resonating crash, the two Dragons exchanged uneasy looks as neither of them knew how to deal with the situation that had unfold. Eventually, curiosity had gotten better of them, however, so with a silent nod of agreement, the two Dragon Pokémon decided to explore their new discovery. Summoning a nearby torch from its bracket by using his psychic power, Latios led the way as he and Dragonite began their long descend down the tunnel.

The narrowness and length of the tunnel made the judging of time difficult as both Latios and Dragonite felt like they had traveled for hours before their journey ended in a giant underground chamber far beneath the surface of Blackthorn City. Latios waved his torch around trying to determine his surroundings, but the vastness of the chamber's darkness consumed whatever little light the torch was giving off.

(Hey, check this out,) Dragonite's voice called out from nearby, the sound of her voice echoed eerily in the cold, dead air of the underground chamber.

Approaching cautiously, Latios examined the object Dragonite had discovered. It was a curious looking device featuring a large polished mirror with bracket and an unlit torch attached to it. Touching the end of his torch to the unlit one attached to the device, the ancient torch sputtered and popped from being unused for ages. When the old torch finally flared into life, it started a sequence that took away the breath of the witnessing Dragon Pokémon. Reflecting the light from the torch, the mirror created a beam of light that traveled across to the far corner of the underground chamber, where it hit another mirror; which in turn reflected the beam of light to other parts of the chamber. The intricate system of mirrors reflected the single beam of light until the entire underground chamber was lit as if the mid-summer sun was shining directly into the chamber. The entire process took no longer than a split second; just like someone from modern day flicking on a switch to a florescent light, and it was due to this sudden transition from darkness to light that both Dragonite and Latios failed to grasp the magnitude of the scene laid out before them.

The underground chamber was rectangular about two full Pokémon battle stadium in length and three in height. The smoothness and sharp edges of the walls were too precise and calculated to be natural formation. Twin lines of pillars lined the center of the chamber like two rows of honor guards, extending infinitely to the unseen ceiling high above. Every possible inch of the chamber's walls was cover with large smooth stone slabs approximately the sizes of an average three-story building. The most impressive structure of them all was an obsidian obelisk that dominated the very center of the ancient chamber. Surrounding the base of the obelisk was three statues of a Latios, a Latias and a human which by some mysterious means, were able to escape the deterioration of time. Incredible and farfetched as it might sound, somehow after being buried and lost for millennia deep beneath Blackthorn City, a small remnant of the Alchemist Empire was discovered by two adventuring Dragon Pokémon.

Stepping in between the tall pillars, Dragonite and Latios let their gazes roam in daze and awe as they drank in the sights they were seeing.

(The humans have a saying, 'Seeing is believing',) whispered Dragonite as she examined a stone slab carved with thousands of armored Rune Knights marching in formation towards battle, (Well, I am 'seeing', but I am not quite sure about the 'believing'…)

For once, Latios agreed with her. Stopping at the base of the intimidating obelisk, Latios was surprised that he recognized the statue of Latias was that of High Priestess Euphemia; although he failed to recognize the other two. Upon closer inspection, Latios noticed a block of gilded white marble was attached directly to the base of the obsidian obelisk. Embedded in the block of marble was a single sphere coated heavily with dust. Curiously, wiping away the coat of dust, Latios was greeted with a sight which he never expected to see outside of the Secret Garden in Altomare: The dim glow of an ancient Soul Dew. Heart pounding, adrenaline surging and energy of Soul Dew churning within him, Latios sought to rein in his bubbling emotions as he reached forth with his mind towards the embedded Soul Dew. Even though Latios did not know how the ancient Soul Dew might respond to his contact, the prospect of meeting his kind outside of his immediate family had made the Azure Guardian reckless. As soon as his mind brushed against the consciousness within the Soul Dew, Latios had triggered yet another unforeseen reaction.

The alarmed gasped of Latios drew Dragonite's attention away from the stone tablets she was studying towards the direction of the obelisk, just in time to witness a ribbon of rainbow-colored light issued from the embed Soul Dew and wrapped around the whole height of the obelisk. When the ribbon of light faded, the obsidian obelisk was alight with various glowing runes and symbols.

(It looks like some sort of recorded text,) observed Dragonite as she came up alongside of Latios, (Are you able to read it?)

"_Yeah, I think so…_" replied Latios as he began to read and translate the ancient text, "_Soh'zak mak'ra eskvia-palum…"_

… _Here remains the last testament and recording of _

_Lord Clovis the Forty-Third, last of the Great Archivist of the Alchemist Empire. _

_May my message remain eternal like the spirit of my beloved Empire…_

_For many centuries our glorious Alchemist Empire ruled the land in prosperity and stability. Our knowledge and technology had grown to an unfathomable height… And so did our thirst for power. With the world fast running out of new lands for us to conquer, our kind grew restless. With no one in the mortal realm dares to challenge our hegemony, the Empire looked for new ways to expand and to display our might. It was during this hour of arrogance, our most esteemed leader, High Priest Mordred the Manipulator had decided that the Alchemist Empire should challenge the might of the Creator himself._

_Such glorious and heroic proposal! Every being from slaves to Alchemist celebrated the departure of our army of finest Rune Knights, led by High Priest Mordred himself and some of the Empire's best warriors. Joined by our oldest and staunchest ally, King Tarenus of Umekcht and his humans with special potentials; a result of a brilliant marriage arranged by High Priestess Euphemia centuries ago, the Invincible Alliance marched forth to claim the greatest glory of all time. Displeased by our challenge, the Creator unleashed all his creations against the Empire and her allies. Thus began the war that plunged the universe into chaos. The land, sea and even the elements themselves turned against us. Our kind had borne witness to some of the most unbelievable phenomenon, stormy downpours took place in the same time as raging sandstorms; scorching desert sun that failed to melt the mountains of snow and ice below it; and blinding blizzard that froze over an active volcano… but our army was not to be denied from its glory so easily. Oceans of blood were made as our army slaughtered those opposed us and those who were not slaughtered were hunted down by humans for "supplies"._

_The victory of the Alchemist Empire seemed inevitable as the relentless onslaught of the Invincible Alliance pushed right to the edge of the Creator's realm. Many great Latios and Latias were lost during this campaign to eternal glory, but their sacrifices allowed the Empire to corner the Creator and his most powerful minions. The pinnacle of the Empire's glorious victories was marked when High Templar Ivensar had defeated the Keeper of Time in a duel, while the Protector of Space was forced to retreat before the ferocious onslaught of Archon Cornelia. With King Tarenus and his humans successfully sealing off the Master of Reverse World, the Creator was now alone…helpless. With a final savage roar our Rune Knights surged forward… To Glory! To Power! To Victory!_

_But we could not have been more wrong. All this time, all our victories and glories we had achieved was due to the patience of the Creator. He was giving us chances for us to see the error in our ways; for us to repent, but our race was so blinded by arrogance, we had done the unthinkable. Here, at the end of his patience's limit, the Creator descended upon the Invincible Alliance like a cleansing wave of fury. His Judgment was both harsh and terrifying. Even with all the powers we boasted of, our Alchemist could only watch as the King of Umekcht and his humans disappeared into Oblivion in a single attack. Before the Creator's limitless power, the army was crumbling fast. High Executor La'raq and his entire battalion were lost trying to slow the advance of the Creator, while Archon Cornelia gave her life to buy time for High Priest Mordred's retreat. Outmatched, High Templar Ivensar and his remaining Rune Knights simply routed off the battlefield. With most of their commanders dead or missing, the remainder of the army shattered and scattered. Witnessing his ambition crashing down around him, High Priest Mordred went mad with anger. It was in this moment of insanity, the mad priest had committed the most heinous crime in Alchemy. Siphoning the souls off his fleeing Rune Knights, High Priest Mordred transformed the lives of his army into pure energy. Wielding such awesome power, the High Priest was temporary able to match the level of the Creator. And thus began the final duel between the Creator and the Manipulator, a titanic battle of which the very fate of the universe hung on the balance. Bolster by his newfound power, High Priest Mordred was able to drive back the Creator and eventually struck down the deity. Cackling with mad laughter, the insane Alchemist charged up his attack for a final blow._

_The attack was not completed, for at the height of his triumph, the High Priest's power turned against him. No mortal was meant to wield such power and the moment the High Priest had let down his guard, he had lost all control over his own energy. Cursing wildly, High Priest Mordred, before he vanished into the Oblivion was able to summon forth all his hatred and anger to gain control over his power just long enough for one last act of defiance. Calling forth all available strength left in him, High Priest Mordred sealed the essence of the Creator into several stone discs and flung them to the far corners of the world. With his essence sealed and scattered, the Creator became bound in a physical body, with all constrains and limitations of a mortal. Still laughing, the High Priest detonated in a blinding wave of energy, wiping out any and all traces of the Invincible Alliance. It took all of the Creator's remaining strength to contain the blast from the deceased mad priest so that the world would not suffer the same fate as the Alliance. The resulting clash of force tore open an unknown dimension, where the Creator became sealed within. With the High Priest dead, along with most of the Empire's greatest elites, the Alchemist Empire rapidly fell apart. Combined with the loss of the Creator watching over the universe, the Fall of the Alchemist Empire marked the beginning of the Dark Ages for the Pokémon World…_

Latios finished reading with a sigh of exhaustion. As if the obelisk could sense that Latios was done reading, the glowing ancient text began to fade away until nothing remained but the jet-black surface of obsidian. The dry and dusty air of the ancient chamber hung low and heavy over the two Dragon Pokémon as each of them solemnly digested the knowledge given to them. Restless and excited for discovering the proof of his ancestor's existence, Latios explored the statues surrounding the central obelisk with great intrigue. Noticing Latios became engrossed in studying the statue of a Latias; Dragonite slowly walked over to him and gently tapped the blue Eon Pokémon on his shoulder.

(What have you discovered now?) asked Dragonite, her voice sounded hollow from the echoes.

"_This statue was sculpted in the image of High Priestess Euphemia_," explained Latios, "_She was the onw who had transformed me… well… transformed an acolyte into a human_"

(Oh? Is that so?) said Dragonite as she curiously approached the statue to take a closer look, (Look, there are more of those glowing runes, here!)

Sure enough, when Latios carefully looked at the spot Dragonite was indicating at the base of the statue, there was a single line of glowing runes similar to those appeared on the obelisk. Right above the runes was a faded paragraph chiseled into the stone. From the few remaining words Latios could decipher from the paragraph, he deduced that it was commemorating a great achievement of some sort in Alchemy. Below it, the line of glowing ancient text simply read:

_Fantasia: Shaper of Reality_

With mounting interest, Latios moved onto the base of the Latios statue. There he found a similar faded paragraph and a line that read:

_Resonance: Shaper of Minds_

At last, Latios arrived at the base of the human statue, where oddly enough there was no paragraph describing an accomplishment, but rather featured just a line of glowing ancient text:

_Hecsmuth-Ka: Shaper of Destiny_

(What do you think those were?) asked Dragonite as she closely followed Latios as he went around examining the statues.

"_From what I can tell," _replied Latios, "_it seems they are the three greatest discoveries in Alchemy in the history of Alchemist Empire."_

(I see…) said Dragonite, glancing around the underground chamber, (Well, I would love to stay longer, but we need to go... now.)

"_But I am not done,_" protested Latios

(We had been side-tracked for far too long,) reminded Dragonite sternly, (We are running out of time and we still yet to recover the 'Draconica')

The sound of the sacred book about Dragon Pokémon brought Latios to his senses. With one last longing look over his shoulder, the Azure Guardian followed Dragonite to the surface. When the two Dragon Pokémon emerged from the tunnel into the Dragon Shrine, the hidden mechanism activated once again in a deep rumble and closed off the hidden tunnel without a single trace of it had ever been there.

(Now, back to business,) said Dragonite, (We need to-)

-THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!-

The rest of Dragonite's sentence was rudely cut off by the loud pounding on the shrine's double door.

"Attention, intruder who desecrates the holy ground of Dragon Shrine," a fierce voice rang out from outside, "Surrender peacefully if you do not wish to face the wrath of a Dragon Master!"

(Oh no!) gasped Dragonite in panic, (That is the voice of Claire, the Gym Leader! Looks like our mission ends in failure.)

Thinking quickly, Dragonite extinguished the torches inside the Dragon Shrine with a few powerful blast of wind from her wings. Then grabbing Latios by his shoulders, she crammed the Azure Guardian in an uncomfortable corner behind the shrine's doors.

(Stay here, and stay hidden,) warned Dragonite, (I shall handle this situation myself.)

Before Latios could protest, Dragonite pulled opened the heavy double doors and stepped out into the open. With Claire at the head, the security of Dragon Den had mobilized en masse, ready to take down any desecrators who were foolish enough to infiltrate the heart of Dragon Den. Seeing Dragonite stepped out of the Dragon Shrine with her ceremonial attire, Claire's expression dawned in belated recognition.

"Guren**-sama**!) she exclaimed in shock, "What are you… That attire… Has father returned to the city?" Claire ended her sentence in a hopeful tone.

(No, Master Lando has not returned,) said Dragonite with all the poise and authority she could muster as she tried to hide her shaking hands and legs, (I was sent here to retrieve the 'Draconica' as Master Lando is in urgent need of it.)

Claire scowled at the unusual answer. It was a well-known fact that as dictated by the ironbound laws of the Dragon Masters, that any access to Draconica must be done in person; no exceptions were allowed no matter the situation.

"But Guren-**sama**," replied Claire carefully, "surely you realized that under no circumstances am I to allow the 'Draconica' to leave the sacred ground!"

(Like I've said before, Lando is in urgent need of it!) countered Dragonite angrily, (There is no time for explanation, you just have to bend the rules for this time!)

"No Pokémon of my father's will utter such treacherous words!" shouted Claire in cold fury, "You are not Pokémon of the Former Champion… You're an imposter!" Turning swiftly to the sentinels and Dragon Pokémon guarding the lake, Claire issued a command to take down Dragonite, who she thought was an imposter, "Arrest her!"

(YOU FOOL!) roared Dragonite with such intensity that the guards of Dragon Den paused in their tracks, (Don't you recognize me?! I am **Ryuyoku Guren**, the Twenty-Sixth Grand Master of Dragon Den! How dare you treat me with such disrespect?!)

"Don't listen to her!" shouted Claire in reply, "Surround that imposter and bring her to justice!"

(Let me warn you,) growled Guren the Dragonite, as she watched the sentinels and their Pokémon formed a circle around her, (If you attack me, I shall defend myself.)

While the tension quickly mounted outside of the Dragon Shrine, Latios had been afflicted with a splitting headache ever since the moment Dragonite had pulled opened the doors of the shrine. His head felt as if there was a huge tidal wave building up from inside, and his skull was just a thin layer of membrane threatening to burst under the pressure. As a shout of battle cry rang out from outside the shrine, the pain in Latios' head became so unbearable that he simply gave up trying to fight it. As he surrendered to the pain, Latios expected his consciousness to black out, but instead something unexpected had happened. The core of Soul Dew deep within him overflowed with abundant energy and crashed against the boundaries of his body like endless waves of the sea crashing against a rock cliff. A warm tingling sensation permeated throughout his body, mind and soul as he entire being was re-forged anew. As a finale, the core of Soul Dew shattered into golden psychic energy.

Eyes ablaze with golden fire, and body shrouded in angelic golden aura, Latios stepped out into the full view of battling humans and Pokémon with purpose and conviction. The grand entrance made by Latios immediately caused the defenders of Dragon Den to abandon their assault on the beleaguered and exhausted Dragonite, to instead stare slack-jawed at the glowing Azure Guardian.

"_By the power of Ancients, I command you," _decreed Latios, the force of his telepathy rattled the minds of those who were present, "_You will give us safe passage out of this place_!)

"Yes, My Lord!"

{Yes, My Lord!} exclaimed the sentinels and their Pokémon in unison as they bowed down before Latios. Only Claire remained on her feet with her eyes slightly unfocused.

"Yes… My… Lord…" Claire said woodenly as her mind eventually succumbed to Latios' influence and sank to one knee.

(Could it really be…?) muttered Dragonite in mystified tone, (Resonance: Shaper of Minds…?)

Turning around, Latios helped Dragonite to her feet.

"_Are you alright?_"

(Well, I will live… One way or the other,) answered Dragonite ruefully, (That was quite the display you've there, Latios.)

"_Come, we need to move,"_ said Latios urgently as he placed one of Dragonite's arm over his shoulder, "_My influence over them will not hold for long._"

Augmented by his newfound power, Latios took off with Dragonite in breathtaking speed. Abandoning all attempts of remain hidden, Latios, who was guided by Dragonite, shot down the main access of Dragon Den and right out of the front entrance, leaving dismayed cries of guards and disciples behind him. As Latios ascending towards the beautiful rising sun, he once again felt the feelings which he had missed so much that he thought he had forgotten how they felt: the feeling of the living… the feeling of happiness and hope.

Even though he could not explain how or why he was able to be reborn, not to mention understand the significance of the adventure he had in a night that felt like decades, Latios could only felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude as the morning breeze gently brushed against his face and ruffled his feathers. Riding on his wave of happiness, Latios flung his consciousness far and wide across the land; ready to embrace the new future ahead of him. It was in this moment of celebration, Latios brushed against another consciousness of an unmistakable familiarity; the mind of his little sister, Latias. The tears of joy from his eyes were quickly swept away by the rushing wind as Latios sped towards Silver Town. Although Latios knew that his sister was too far out of range to hear him, he nevertheless concentrated with all his might and shouted in Latias' direction, the first words that came into his mind.

"I AM ALIVE!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**The board is set! The pieces are moving! With the conclusion of Chapter 16, it marks the end of Act 1. The stage is finally set for Ash and Latias. It's time for them to go forth and take victory!**

-**sama**: Highest form of honorific given to a person. Guren-sama roughly translate to "Lady Guren"**.**

**Ryuyoku Guren (Surname, Given name)-** Personal name of Lando's Dragonite. Do you think I made her name sound too feminine? Well, the alternative I had in mind was "AssKickz0r-TX75". Didn't think that would sound too attractive**.**


	17. Chapter 17: The Steel Drill (master)

**Author's Note:**

**After much planing and deliberation, Act 2 is now ready! Be prepared as the events of past, present and future inter-twine for our heroes as they forge forward in their adventure!**

**This is just a quick reminder of how dialogues in this story is formatted:**

"Words" - Normal speech, typically used by humans or Pokemon with special ability or under special circumstances.

"_Words_"- Telepathy/Inner thoughts. Telepathy is the main form of communication of the Lati-siblings and other powerful Psychic types

(Words)- Advanced Pokespeech. Up until now we only saw two Pokemon using this type of communication, Guren, Lando's Dragonite and Winston, Tudor's Skarmory. Advance Pokespeech is just like generic Pokespeech but are easily understood by humans due to their special training and education. Usually defines League-level Pokemon.

{Words} Common Pokespeech. Generic Pokespeech where Pokemon just repeat their name and makes no sense to humans. Although other Pokemon can understand and sometimes "translate" for these type of speakers.

**Foreign Language used:**

**English-**Universal, a commonly shared language in the story's Pokemon World where majority of the Regions use as spoken and written language to communicate

**French **- Hoenn, used by characters from Hoenn region. Known speakers: Tudor (Gilbert) and Skarmory

**Italian** - Altomare/Southern Johto. It is assumed that all characters from this region know this dialect. Known speakers so far: Latios, Latias and Bianca (of course, her grandpa too)

**Japanese (in Romanji** **format)** - Kanto, although it is unknown if Ash, Misty and Brock knows this dialect. Known speaker in story so far: Lando's Dragonite

Johto Sub-region- Unlike other regions, Johto does not have its unique dialect as a whole, but rather many different sub-regional dialect depending on where the character is from. The readers were introduced to Blackthorn region dialect, which was a adaptation of the real life's Yorkshire dialect of UK. A dictionary of difficult to decipher words will be listed below.

**So with that ends the A/N. Please enjoy the story.**

* * *

**The Steel Drill (master)**

Latias could not believe such a day had finally come for her. Ever since the day she understood the meaning of true happiness, she had wonder how it would feel. Now that she's experiencing it, Latias knew for sure it was one feeling that she would never want it to end. Letting out an excited giggle, Latias examined herself in the floor-length mirror in her room. The reflecting looking back at her made the meaning of "stunning" a vast understatement. Dressed in luxurious white satin dress specially tailored to fit her Pokémon form, the expensive garment flowed off Latias' curves as naturally as waterfall flows off a cliff. Thin enough to just barely give away the red of Latias' body, the wedding dress rustled softly as Latias twisted and twirled to admire herself from various angles. Her favorite part about dress is the string of gems from her armband sewn across the waist. The gems of Latias' namesake sparkled merrily as if in acknowledgement of her admiration. There was knock on the door before it opened gently and Latias turned around in time to see her maid of honor, her best and oldest friend, Bianca had entered her room. Dressed in matching white satin dress, Latias thought her friend couldn't have been lovelier after looking at her for all these years. Bianca's red hair which Latias loved so much, deviated from their usual styling, but instead were combed down and styled into a tight bun.

"How do you feel, Latias?" greeted Bianca with a warm smile.

"_I feel great!_" replied Latias in an excited burst, "_Oh, I am so excited, I am feeling giddy right now! I still can't believe this is really happening!_"

"Oh, I am sure Ash is feeling the same," chuckled Bianca. Eyes widening in as if she had recalled something, "By the way, Latios sends his regards."

"_And how is he coping?_" asked Latias in concern

"I am sure he will survive," said Bianca with a mischievous smile, "He is just a bit… emotional right now."

Latias nodded in understanding. Despite how she hated her brother for opposing the marriage right to the end; Latias can fully understand what Latios is going through. After all, she knows better than anyone else that losing a sibling would never be easy.

"I won't worry about Latios though, as he will attend your wedding," continued Bianca, "I've MADE sure of it," she added with a hard tone and a fierce glint in her eyes.

Latias knew better than to question the truth of her best friend's words. Knowing Bianca, she probably had super-glued Latios' Soul Dew to the front row. Off in the distant, the city bell tolled cheerfully in announcement of the hour.

"Come on now, Latias," said Bianca, grabbing her friend's arm, "It's time. We don't want to keep Ash waiting for too long, do we?"

Despite all her bubbling excitements, Latias hesitated. Pulling Bianca into a tight embrace, tears began to well up involuntarily in the red Eon Pokémon's eyes.

"_Thank you, Bianca,_" whispered Latias, her voice choked with emotions, "_Thank you for everything; this dress, the wedding… for everything… Thank you so, so, much…"_

"Hey, come now, what's this?" soothed Bianca gently, her voice too, had become emotional, "Why are you showing tears for such happy day? Besides, what I did for you was the least that could be done for a best friend… and a family member. Now, I want you to wipe those tears off and smile for me."

Taking Bianca's advice, Latias cuffed away her tears and beamed her friend her sweetest smile.

"_I am going to miss you…_" said Latias, as she released her friend from the embrace.

"I know, Latias. And I am going to miss you as well," said Bianca, gently patting Latias' white forehead, "Let's go! Ash and the guest are waiting!"

When the bride and her bridesmaid arrived at the ceremony location, Latias felt a tingle of nervousness as she saw the area was packed full of people and Pokémon of Altomare who attended to give their best wishes. Among the guest, Latias could see her brother Latios was sitting at the very front with his arms crossed and a heavy scowl on this face, Ash's usual entourage of friends and a few of her rare friends she had in Altomare before she went traveling with Ash. As Latias progressed slowly down the center aisle with Bianca at her side, she noted with relief that Latios at least had the decency to adopt a more neutral expression as she approached; although he still kept his arms tightly crossed.

"_What's the matter with him?_" asked Latias, nodding slightly in her brother's direction.

"Oh, that's my fault, really," whispered back Bianca apologetically, "I sort of took the meaning of 'glued to his seat' a bit too literally…"

"_Yep, see? I knew that's going to happen,_" thought Latias, "_Oh, Bianca, you are always so predictable_."

Appreciating the soft whisperings and mutterings about her appearance from the crowd, Latias turned her focus towards the end of the aisle. What she saw caused her heart to skip a few beats. Standing slightly in front of Lorenzo, who is to preside over the marriage was Ash. Dressed in a splendid suit of black tuxedo with white bowtie and gloves, the young trainer flashed Latias his most charming smile, which promptly made Latias to feel giddy with joy. At his feet, Ash's Pikachu, who was also dressed in Pokémon sized tuxedo, waved cheerfully at Latias.

The rest of the wedding happened in a blur for the young couple as both of them were so busy getting lost in each other's eyes, they were barely paying attention to Lorenzo who was performing the ceremony to join Ash and Latias in matrimony. When Lorenzo had finally pronounced the union of man and Pokémon, Latias felt a wave of joy surge over her like the breaking of a dam. Not caring if the entire world was watching, Latias tackled Ash to the floor and kissed him in a passionate display of affection. Several of the guests gasped in surprised delight while several more of them clapped and cheered. Even a pair of Pidgey landed on the nearby tree to witness such rare and happy sight.

(Oi! Gerr up!) called down one of the Pidgey in a surprisingly gruff voice.

"_How rude!_" thought Latias as she and Ash continued to savor the sweet nectar of love in each other's mouth.

(Gerr up, naw!) insisted the same Pidgey again.

Again, Latias ignored the rude Tiny Bird Pokémon.

(I SEZ,) a terrible roar issued from the Pidgey, signaling to Latias that there was something wrong with her reality, (Gerroff thy bunk DIS… REEIGHT… INSTANT!)

Latias felt a sharp pain right below her ribs as Winston the Skarmory savagely kicked the red Eon Pokémon out of her sleeping bag with tremendous force. Flying across to the length of the cabin, Latias bounced off the opposite wall. Groaning, Latias reluctantly peeled opened her eyes and her face off the pillow which she had been hugging tightly. To her slight embarrassment, Latias noticed there was a rather large soggy patch on the pillow cover. Fortunately for Latias, Winston was too busy with Ash to notice. Stomping over to the sleeping bag containing Ash, the Skarmory began to mercilessly peck at the lump to wake up the trainer sleeping within.

(Up! Up!) shouted Winston as he continued to peck Ash, (Gerr up! Daylight's burnin! Ah shall not tolerate laziness o' uz watch!)

Groaning, Ash sneaked a peek out of the window through the haze of sleepiness. What he saw caused him to let out another groan as he sat up. It was still dark outside.

"Daylight? What daylight?" complained the young trainer.

"Quit your whining, kid," said Tudor's voice from the dining table, "You signed up for this, remember?"

Both Ash and Latias' hearts sank in dismay. Indeed when they asked Tudor and his Skarmory to train them, they had agreed to do everything according to how their mentors instructed them. Only, both of them did not expect Tudor and Skarmory to have such harsh trainings planned for them.

(Theear. breytfast. ea') commanded Winston the Skarmory, tossing two shallow dish-like metal bowls of thin gruel to Ash and Latias.

"Oh, come on!" whined Ash pathetically, "My breakfast is barely more than a bowl of water!"

(Well, it luks li' theur are not 'ungry enuff yet,) snapped Skarmory. With a flash of wingtip, the Armor Bird Pokémon knocked over Ash's bowl, spilling its content all over the floor. While Ash continued with his early morning whining, Latias learnt from her trainer's example and picked up her breakfast without a word. Blowing softly over the gruel, Latias waited for her steaming hot breakfast to cool. But just as she was about to dig in, a flash of steel knocked the bowl out of her hands, splattering the gruel on the ground.

"_Hey!_" exclaimed Latias angrily, "_I was just about to eat that!_"

(Well, theur 'ed thy chance. Wha' did theur expect? T' world ta gi'o'a 'n 'od on for theur?) scolded Skarmory, "Naw gerr thy lazy bum i' theear 'n gerr washed up!) he finished by pointing at a curtained off corner in the back of the log cabin.

Ash and Latias looked at each other in disbelief. Surely, they must be at the receiving end of some practical joke.

"You… want us to take a shower behind… there?" asked Ash incredulously. In response, Skarmory and Tudor exchanged brief looks with each other and nodded in reply simultaneously.

"_That's absurd!_" said Latias, "_There is no way I am going to use…THAT!_"

"Well, in that case," said Tudor shrugging, "You are free to begin your first day of training right away."

"Wait," interrupted Ash hurriedly, "I'll do it."

Already feeling grungy from his previous day's trek up the mountain and brief battle with Skarmory, Ash could not bear the thought of not washing himself for another day. Gingerly stepping behind the curtain, the young trainer surveyed the cramped space behind the curtain. Windowless and barely large enough for Latias, Ash was already beginning to feel claustrophobic as he nervously checked out the crude hole dug into the floor which served as a drain. Prepared for him was a pair of wooden buckets filled with water, a crude sponge and a pair of rough towels. Sighing dejectedly, Ash began to strip off his clothes and piled them untidily in a place where he hoped they would not get splashed. Carefully, Ash dipped his hand into first bucket of water to test its temperature and immediate yanked his hand back. The water was freezing cold! In fact, it was so cold that numbness was beginning to creep up from Ash's fingers to his hand. Upon hearing the impatient tapping of Skarmory's claws on the other side of the curtain, Ash knew he had to either man up and take the cold shower or go without it. Picking up the bucket, the young trainer screwed his eyes shut and braced for the shock his body was about to receive. Just as he was about commit, the curtain dividing the private space and the rest of the cabin flew open, exposing Ash to all other occupants of the cabin. With a surprised yell, Ash instinctively dropped the bucket, drenching himself from head to toe with ice cold water. Poor Ash was so surprised that he did not even noticed the cold his body was feeling as his hand frantically clawed for a towel to cover himself.

(Wha' is t' major od' up 'eear?) demanded Skarmory loudly, oblivious to the embarrassing display in front of him. Behind him was a chocked squeal as Latias finally realized what was happening and quickly hid her eyes behind her claws.

"_This is outrageous!_" shouted Latias blindly at everyone in the cabin, "_How can you do this Winston? Did you forget not everyone in this cabin is as indecent as you?_"

"If that's the case," Tudor pointed out nonchalantly, "Why don't you close that gap you have between your claws, Latias?"

There was so much heat from her embarrassment that rushed up to Latias' cheek, even her neck turned a slight shade of pink. But Latias did not regret her action, for she had seen… well, she had seen enough to fuel her wildest fantasies for the next few days.

(Alreight, that's enuff lollygaggin art o' theur twoa. Gue on, art t' front door. It's tahhm for thy trainin!) said Winston the Skarmory briskly while Ash hastily pulled on his clothing. Now too cold, tired, hungry and embarrassed to argue, the young couple filed out of the cabin without any complaint.

"Winston," called out Tudor from his seat at the dining table. Skarmory was about follow the pair out the door, but he stopped and turned to face Tudor for instructions. Already the Pokémon Moveset Specialist was beginning his day's work of scribbling notes onto various sheets of paper. "Our chance of success in Johto will increase dramatically if those kids are able to occupy the attention of the Elite Four. I am sure you understand this, yes?"

(I do, sir,) replied Skarmory in a surprisingly clear and crisp Universal.

"Then you will do whatever that is necessary to shape them into capable battling unit… Even if it means putting their lives in severe danger, is that understood?" asked Tudor without looking up for his work.

(Yes sir,) replied Skarmory, (But sir, do you really think putting the lives of those two at risk is absolutely needed?)

Briefly pausing from his scribbling, Tudor gave his Armor Bird Pokémon a long, hard look.

"The lives of those two are insignificant compared to the objective of our mission," said Tudor harshly, "Besides, Ash and his Latias have seen too much to be left alive should they not succeed at what we have to teach them. If it was not for Ash's ambition to challenge Johto's Elite Four, neither of them would be waking up this morning."

Skarmory nodded in understanding, for in all the years he had been with Tudor, his Trainer had never made an idle threat.

(Do you trust the young one's words, then?) asked Skarmory curiously. Sighing slightly, Tudor returned to his work.

"I saw there was no lie in Ash's eyes when he told his story about Lando," said the Moveset Specialist slowly, "But I can't shake the feeling that he is hiding something. I can't tell for sure until the… others… have come back," he finished mysteriously.

(Very well, then I shall proceed with our current plan) said Skarmory, turning around to leave.

"Oh, and Winston?" called out Tudor again to stop his Pokémon, "If I were you, I would find an opportunity of fix your current adopted accent. I want to give Ash and Latias at least SOME chance to walk away from here alive. That is all. **Bon chance**, Winston.)

Snapping his talons together in a quick salute, Skarmory bowed himself out of the cabin.

Stepping out into the chilly morning air, Skarmory shook his head sadly at the sight of Ash and Latias yawning their heads off as they waited for him to his conversation with Tudor. Coughing self-importantly to attract the attention of the young trainer and his Pokémon, Skarmory began to pace up and down in front of them as he began the course of the training.

(Alreight, clean thy ears art 'n listen ta uz closely,) began Skarmory, (For dis moa on, I am officially thy traina 'n theur are uz trainees. 'a' means, tha'il onny speyt when spoken ta 'n tha'il obey uz instruction wiyaa' 'esitation. Doa ah mek missen clear?)

"Um… well… no…not really,) answered Ash truthfully, with Latias shaking her head to show she agreed with Ash. Skarmory's eyes narrowed dangerously as he squinted down his metallic beak at the cowering couple in front of him. Sensing something was going to happen, Latias huddled closer to Ash in preparation for anything Skarmory might do to harm her beloved.

('n, wha' 'ood be thy reason, Trainee?) the words of Skarmory were so cold that Ash felt as if the air around hi had lowered a few degrees.

"Well…" began Ash hesitantly, but he decided to put on a brave face and confront Skarmory directly in the eyes; a decision which he would soon regret, "It's just I can't understand a word you are saying!)

Ash watched as Skarmory closed his eyes and his chest heaved up and down rapidly like giant steel bellow, and felt a sense of impending doom creep up from his navel. It was truly an awesome sight, for Ash finally understood what a volcano would have looked like just moments before its eruption. Faster than either Ash or Latias' eyes could see, Skarmory brought his right wing up in a wide cleaving arc, catching both of his trainees'' heads in his imitation of a slap.

(WELL WHAT ABOUT NOW?!) roared Skarmory so hard that hair and feathers were blown back from Ash and Latias' head as the young couple hugged their head in pain.

"_Oh hey, I can understand you clearly now!_" exclaimed Latias, her surprise at the sudden clarity of Skarmory's words made Latias forget about her throbbing temple.

(Of course you can,) sneered Skarmory sarcastically, (I've just knocked some sense into you.)

Ash and Latias exchanged confused looks as they tried to figure out what exactly had just happened to them, but Tudor's Armor Bird Pokémon did not give them a chance to.

(For a training process to go smoothly, we must first get acquainted to each other,) began Skarmory, raising his voice to focus the attention of his trainees in front of him, (You! State your name!) commanded Skarmory, jabbing his beak towards Ash.

"Ash Ketchum"

(Ket…chum…) said Skarmory with a grimace, spitting out each syllable of the word like pieces of rotten food, (Ketchum… That's slang for "Tauros Dropping", am I right?)

"Uh, no," replied Ash in protest

(WELL, FROM NOW ON IT IS!) bellowed Skarmory and kicked Ash hard in the shin with his talons, (And you, female! State your name!)

"_J…Jewel…_" replied Latias fearfully, feeling intimidated by Skarmory's piercing gaze.

(Jewel… That's a synonym for "Worthless", is that correct?)

"_Of course no_-" Latias was about to say, but she realized Winston the Skarmory was trying to test her capacity to keep a level head under aggravating situation, so Latias swallowed her pride and answered loud and clear, "_Of course sir, that is correct_."

(You bet your tail feathers I am!) huffed Skarmory gruffly, but Latias swore she briefly caught a glimpse of an approving smirk from Skarmory. Meanwhile, Ash threw a dirty look at his Pokémon lover as he felt betrayed by Latias' surrender to Skarmory's authority. Pacing once again before Ash and Latias, Skarmory began to outline the next step in his training process.

(I hope even your minuscule brains can comprehend by now that whatever I say goes around here,) declared Skarmory loudly, (Which mean I am going to tell you, WHAT you will be doing, HOW you are going to do it and WHEN you get to do it. In other words I am going to tell you how you are going to eat, sleep, train and breathe while you are under my care!)

Skarmory stopped in front of Ash to give the young trainer his most heated glare.

(While you are training under me, I will not tolerate any protest, complaints or any forms of disobedience! The expected response from my Trainees will be none other than "Yes, sir!" and that's what I want to hear out of you, right now. Is that understood?)

"Yes sir…" replied Ash dejectedly.

(IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!) roared Skarmory, this time Latias was included in his glare.

"SIR! YES, SIR!"

"_SIR! YES, SIR!"_

(Now before I teach you how be great,) continued the Armor Bird Pokémon, (I must say you are the most pathetic, clueless and incompetent trainer and Pokémon I have seen in my entire life!) here, Skarmory paused to looked at the crestfallen expression on his trainees, (You don't have any idea about field tactics, completely novice on advanced movesets and you don't even know where to begin in your teamwork!)

"Hey, that's not true-" interrupted Ash hotly as he couldn't stand Skarmory's criticism on his training skill any longer.

(BUT FEAR NOT!) announced Skarmory loudly over Ash's voice, (By the time I am done molding you, you two will be the deadliest and most efficient battling unit the world will ever see!)

As sudden as a switch being flipped, both Ash and Latias' expression were filled with hope.

(Starting now, I am going to drill both of you,) warned Skarmory, his voice lowered to a dangerous growl, (And you will be drilled hard! There will be a lot of pain, sweat, blood and humiliation on your part. There will be times when you will be forced to do unpleasant things against your will. There will be tie when hard things done to you which you will NOT like at all! But mark my words, by the end of it all, you will be elites amongst the elite, or my name is not Winston "The Drill" S.K. ARMORY!) finished Skarmory, puffing out his chest in self-importance to reinforce his proclamation.

"_Um… Are sure…_" said Latias worriedly to Ash, "_Are you sure, it is okay to entrust our training to Winston? From what it sounds like, he is going to commit some heinous crime on us rather than training us…_"

(Is there something you wish to share with us, Trainee Worthless?) asked Skarmory before Ash could whisper back his thoughts.

"_No, sir…_" replied Latias meekly

(Good, then we shall right away. Follow me.)

The dawn was breaking, painting the world in sleepy twilight. Winston the Skarmory led Ash and Latias to a mountain path which stretched all the way to the frosty peak of Mount Silver somewhere close to Tudor's cabin. High as the cabin location was in the mountain, the narrow and steep mountain path went beyond the line of sight of the three gathered at its start as it reach towards the ice cold sky far above the cloud.

(The basic of all Pokémon battle is endurance, both for the Trainer and his Pokémon,) explained Skarmory, (And that is where we are going to start. You will now run to the peak of Mount Silver and reach it before the sun is up. Failure to do so, will result in… dire consequences.)

"Oh come on, that's too much!" whined Ash automatically, "I haven't gotten enough sleep, I haven't eaten anything, I haven't- Eeek!" Ash finished with a girlish squeal as a sharp metal Spike whistled pass his ear.

(Just for that whining, Trainee Tauros Dropping,) growled Skarmory, (You've just made it into my 'To Torment' list. Congratulation, you did not even make it the first day!)

"But-"

(One more word out of you, Trainee Tauros Dropping,) threatened Skarmory loudly, (I shall make sure the next Spike will go straight through your head! If you wish NOT to perish by my talons; then I suggest you start making your way to the peak now!)

Seeing any arguing or complaining was going to be futile, Latias folded her arms into her body in preparation for takeoff.

(Oi, just where do you think you are going, Trainee Worthless?) demanded Skarmory

"_To the peak, as you've instructed, sir_" answered Latias readily

(Not with flying, you are not!) snapped Skarmory

"_Then how am I supposed to get up there then?_"

A sadistic grin spread across the Armor Bird Pokémon's beak.

(From what I've heard,)said Skarmory, (You seemed to be capable of adopting a convincing mimicry of a human. Yes… that will do. You will jog up to the peak alongside of your Trainer in that form.)

"_What?! That is outrageous!_" protested Latias, "_Surely you can't be serious about a female like me to pull of such strenuous task!_"

The squawking laughter of Skarmory echoed loud and long in the mountain air.

(Oh… you're a funny one, Trainee Worthless,) cawed Skarmory, (And for that… I am going kill you last.)

Seeing there was no other choice, Latias transformed into her beautiful red-haired form and took her place besides Ash.

(What are waiting for Trainees?) shouted Skarmory, pecking each of his trainees painfully in the back of their head, (Get moving before I make you too bloodied and bruised to CRAWL up the path, let alone ALIVE enough to return from the peak! Did you not hear me? I said, MOVE!)

Thus, with ample amount of groaning and sighing, Ash and Latias jogged towards the peak of Mount Silver and the rising sun.

* * *

**Author's Note: Please leave a review for the first chapter of Act 2! Your comments are always important to me.**

**uz- **me/my depending on context

**thy- **Your, not to be confused with You're, which will be "**Thas**"

**Theur- **You

**T' world ta gi'o'a 'n 'od on for theur- **The world to stop and wait for you?**  
**


	18. Chapter 18: Frozen Awakening

**Author's Note:**

**I truly wish there is a way to rate reviews, because each and everyone of you will receive "Exellent" or above!**

* * *

**Frozen Awakening**

In the meantime while Ash and Latias were suffering under Tudor and his Skarmory's plan, Lando's Dragonite and Latios managed to land in front of Silver Town's Pokémon Center with relatively low attention. A few early risers in town gave Latios a few curious double-takes but under the gray light of breaking dawn, every one of them had mistaken Latios as a common Pokémon from foreign region rather than the legendary guardian of Altomare.

(Ooohh-Hoohumm,) Lando's Dragonite rubbed her eyes tiredly as she barely stifled a yawn, (I don't know how we did it, but we have actually done it! Now, it's time for my beauty sleep. All these excitements are going to cause early molting for me,) finished the orange Dragon Pokémon with a grimace.

"_Dragonite-"_ began Latios in concern as the glass door of the Pokémon Center hissed opened for Dragonite.

(I know, I know) sighed Dragonite, (Not a word to anyone; you don't have to worry about that. I am not eager to be called deranged for something I still find hard to believe right now. Everything that happened just seemed so… surreal, as if…)

"_As if everything is pre-determined…like a dream,_" provided Latios

(Yes, that,) said Dragonite, snapping her claws together in acknowledgment, (Hey, who knows, I might wake up now and realize all these… events… might just be a very strange dream,) pausing for a brief second, Dragonite caught Latios' eyes and gave him a sly wink, ( Dream or not, it was definitely an interesting night! We should do this more often!) With that, Dragonite disappeared into the interior of the Pokémon Center, leaving the Azure Guardian alone, wondering what she really meant.

Latios stayed outside for a while longer, taking in the sight and smell of the waking world around him. Everything seemed more vibrant for him after his strange experience in Dragon Shrine; the sound of morning Pokémon announcing their presence to the world, the smell of flowers in the soft summer air and the sound of machines slowly rumbled across the surface of the earth as the town once again prepared for another beautiful summer day. Latios took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Yes, he remembered now. The rush of excitement he had each time he woke up in morning back in Altomare; the sense of impatience to greet the day's adventure; all of which he had lost after his transcendence into Soul Dew, he had remembered. Why is he remembering those sensations now, Latios still could not fully understand.

"Oh my! Are you are Pokémon?" gasped a sound from behind Latios

Turning around, the blue Eon Pokémon saw a middle-aged woman who was in the middle of walking her Growlithe, but dropped its leash in surprise at the strange appearance of Latios. Without saying anything, Latios gave the woman his friendliest smile and quickly retreated through the glass door of the Pokémon Center.

"Now look here, Pepe," said the woman admonishingly to her young Growlithe, "You will need to start Roaring louder each morning from now on. It seems Mommy is still half asleep right now; seeing strange sights at this early in the morning…" Without really understanding what its owner was talking about, the young Growlithe barked enthusiastically in reply.

Relieved that he did not run into anyone else on his way to the trainers' dormitory, Latios quietly opened the door to Bianca's room and quietly slipped inside. He had hoped to sneak in without his friend's notice, but it was not to be. As soon as Latios turned around from closing the door behind him, he was confronted by the sight of Bianca, wide awake, standing in the middle of her room with her arms crossed in impatience.

"Explain," demanded Bianca without any preamble

"_B-Bianca!_" stammered Latios, "_I-I…ah…I didn't expect you to be up so early!_"

"Where have you been all night?" asked Bianca, her eyes flashed dangerously

"_I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get some fresh air,_" lied Latios, trying to keep his expression as innocent as possible.

"And that took you the entire night?"

Judging by Bianca's raised eyebrow, Latios could tell that his best friend did not believe a single word he had said.

"_Apparently so,_" shrugged the blue Eon Pokémon

"Then tell me what is THAT on your face?!" exclaimed Bianca, nearly shouting out her words from anger.

Latios quickly zoomed into the suite's attached bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror and swallowed hard. Looking back at Latios was his own haggard look, with heavy bags under his eyes, his feathers were all askew from long hours of flight and adventure, but the worst of it all, was the two unmistakable tiny loose fragments of orange scales lodged in his cheek feathers.

"_Ah..Ahhahaaha…Huh, now… how did that get there, I wonder,"_ laughed Latios nervously, quickly brushing away the scale fragments and floated back to his friend's side, "_I really have no idea! Honest!_"

Bianca aggressively stepped forward into Latios, causing the blue Dragon Pokémon to back away nervously.

"What is that smell?" asked Bianca suspiciously, sniffing the air around Latios, "Is that the smell of Stantler Jerky in YOUR BREATH?"

"_Ah… I- ahem… No…_" replied Latios answered hesitantly, trying his best to keep his eyes from wondering away from Bianca's.

"Stop… lying… to me!" shouted Bianca, with her eyes on verge of tears, "Here I was worrying about you for the entire night, and here you are lying shamelessly to me!"

Latios simply could not understand why his friend was so upset. It's not that Bianca cared about him for the previous three days, now she is threatening to wake the entire Pokémon Center up by shouting about how worried she was. Deciding that he should go on the offensive this time, Latios drew up to his full height and confronted Bianca boldly.

"_Hey, I didn't ask you to be worried about me,_" said Latios angrily, "_Why do you even care where I was anyway? Aren't you supposed to be too busy with searching for Ash and Latias?"_

Bianca stiffened from Latios' accusations, but the young lady did not back down.

"Latios, why you-"

"_If you really have that much time on your hands,_" shouted Latios over his best friend's words, "_Why don't you spend it by bashing your head against a wall? To me, it seems like a more effective way to spend your time than whatever that is you were doing for the past few days!_"

Little did Latios know, during his tirade against Bianca that his eyes began to glow in golden color as his temper rose. Just as he was suggesting to Bianca to bash her head against a wall, Latios' mysterious newfound power kicked in without the Pokémon noticing and took control of the young woman. For a split second, Bianca appeared confused and disoriented, but as Resonance gained complete control, her face turned blank and emotionless.

"As you say… My lord," muttered Bianca blankly and began to shuffle mindlessly towards the closest wall.

"_Woah! Wha-wait, Bianca!_" panicked Latios, grabbing Bianca from behind so to prevent his friend from hurting herself, "_I am sorry! I didn't mean it! Please stop what you are doing!_"

Even though Bianca did not say anything, she struggled wordlessly against Latios' grasp. The Azure Guardian was astonished by the strength which his friend was using to fight back; in fact Bianca was struggling so hard that she was actually dragging Latios towards the closest wall.

"_Please, Bianca, snap out of it!_" begged Latios through gritted teeth as he strained hard to fly backwards, "_Come on Bianca, I said I was sorry! Why are you doing- Guggh!_"

Latios gulped down hard as in the midst of his struggle with Bianca, his hands groped something which he knew he should not have. All heat from his body seemed drained out of him as a jumble of thoughts and memories of pain from the previous night assaulted Latios' mind.

"_S-S-S-S-Soft!_" was all Latios managed to stammer before Bianca snapped out of her trance.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" shrieked the red-faced Bianca so loudly that the glass windows of the room rattled on their hinges.

"_I-am-sorry-I-am-sorry-I-am-sorry-I-am-sorry-I-am-s orry_!" apologized Latios blindly, his words flowing together into an almost incoherent string.

"OUT! GET OUT!" screamed Bianca, snatching a pillow off her bed and began to savagely beat Latios with it, "How dare you treat me in such way, you despicable monster! Get out! I don't ever want to see you again!"

After being driven out of Bianca's room, the door slammed shut behind Latios so hard that it cracked near the handle. Already, there were grumbling from trainers in neighboring rooms about the ruckus.

"What is going on here?" asked a grouchy looking trainer after poking his head out the doorway to his room, "Don't you think it's still too early to- what the…!"

Rest of the trainer's words was stuck in his throat after seeing Latios floating in front of Bianca's room. Reaching into his pocket the half-asleep trainer fumbled for his Pokedex in order to discover information about Latios.

"_You didn't really see me at all,_" suggested Latios to the trainer instinctively, hoping against hope that the desire effect of Resonance will take hold once again, "_You are still dreaming._"

Thankfully for Latios, his new power did go into effect and altered the trainer's mind. Just like what had happened to Bianca, the trainer's expressed brief moment of initial surprise, followed by a blank and emotionless face as the power of Resonance subjugated his mind under Latios' control.

"As you say, my Lord…" said the trainer sleepily

"_You will go back to sleep now,_" added Latios for additional safety measure

This time, the trainer did not even acknowledge the Azure Guardian's command as his eyes immediately rolled backwards into his head and toppled forward, unconscious. Rushing forward, Latios was barely able to catch the falling trainer before he hit the floor. After stuffing the now sound asleep trainer unceremoniously back into his room, Latios closed the door with a heavy sigh of relief.

"_Resonance, Shaper of Mind,_" thought Latios pensively to himself, "_Can it really be…? Was I wielding its power just now?_"

Latios stared at his hands as he tried to piece together some sense out of the recent chain of events. After carefully arranging his thoughts, Latios determined that for whatever phenomenon happened to Bianca and the grouchy trainer, the reason to explain it will appear soon enough.

"_Whatever it was, I need to be careful with what I say from now on,_" said Latios to himself with a nod, "_At least until I know how to freely control my new power_…"

With that, Latios slipped into invisibility and snuck out of the Pokémon Center to find a secluded spot to hide for the rest of the day.

In was not before late morning did Ash and Latias finally huffed and puffed their way to the peak of Mount Silver. When they had reach their destination, both the trainer and his Pokémon threw themselves face down onto the ice cold snow that covered every visible surface of the mountain peak as if the snow was a large warm feathery bed. Winston the Skarmory reached the top shortly after Ash and Latias, with his chest heaving up and down in long and steady breaths. With steam blowing out of his nostrils like a steam engine at full speed, the Armor Bird Pokémon looked down at his trainees with the air of utter disdain.

(I've told you to reach the peak before sunrise and yet here we are, almost noon time!) shouted Skarmory while mercilessly began to kick talonful of snow into Ash and Latias' face, (I hope you are prepared to accept the consequences to your failure!)

"_Please sir, have mercy,_" begged Latias, she was so exhausted that her human form faded away; leaving the red Eon Pokémon sprawled out on snow, "_We had been pecked, clawed, lashed and shot at the entire way up here-"_

"P-p-please it hurts," added Ash in desperation while holding his aching sides, "Please go easy on us… it's only our first day!"

(Mercy?! You expect mercy?!) Skarmory spat in contempt, (I have no intention of showing mercy to weaklings, especially weaklings who disobey orders!) Skarmory began to pace again with pompous and self-important air, (Why, if you were my underlings back in my days serving in Johto Foreign Legion, I would have you both lashed, gutted then hung out to dry for insubordination!)

"But this isn't the military," Ash pointed out

(IS TALKING BACK TO YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER YOUR ENTIRE PURPOSE IN LIFE, TRAINEE TAUROS DROPPING?!) Skarmory's roar was so resonating that Ash feared the tremor that it had caused would start an avalanche. Thankfully for everyone on the mountain peak, it did not. (And just how long are you two going to lie there in the snow?! Get your rear ends up before I lash them so hard you won't be able to sit back down for the rest of your miserable life!)

Stiffly and painfully, the young couple scraped themselves off the snow and leaned on each other shakily for support when they got up.

(Now, clean the snow out of your ears and listen to me carefully,) growled Skarmory, (I am not punishing you for being weak or stupid. I am punishing you for wasting time! Time, which once lost cannot be recovered! Today, both of you have wasted precious time that is needed for the training, and for that, you will be punished!)

Ash and Latias let out a stretched out moan of despair.

(SILENCE!) commanded Skarmory, immediately cowing the two into submission, (At first, I was planning to train you the easy way, by letting you learn through sets of instructions. But now I know you are incapable of doing that, we shall do this the hard way.)

""Fine," said Ash in resignation, "Let's just get it over with. What is our punishment?"

(Death,) At the sound of the word, Ash and Latias bolted up, wide eyed, (Or it would be should you fail again.)

"_What do you mean by that?_" asked Latias nervously

Instead of answering, Skarmory pointed his beak towards somewhere far off to his side. Cautiously the young couple turned their gaze to where Skarmory was pointing at and dreaded the sight they saw. Far off in the distant horizon, an ominous bank of dark clouds gathered. Although it was no more than a dark speck in the sky at the time, it was slowly but surely growing as Ash and Latias stared.

(There will be a massive blizzard hitting Mount Silver,) explained Skarmory, (At this rate it will reach us by evening.)

Skarmory strutted back to the mountain path that led the team to the peak and gouged a horizontal line right across the mouth of the path and placed himself behind it.

(As you can see, this is the only path down the mountain,) said Skarmory, (In order for you to get out of the blizzard and to safety, you will have to get past me! Failing to do so, I will make sure your frozen corpses are buried by the storm!)

"_He is trying to kill us!_" gasped Latias fearfully to Ash, grasping her loved one's shoulder in concern.

"No, I think he is bluffing," Ash whispered back. Raising his voice, Ash boldly pointed out something to Skarmory, "Doesn't your plan also put you in danger of freezing to death yourself?"

(Oh, I won't be worrying about that if I were you," smiled Skarmory darkly, (The real question you should be asking yourselves is, 'Can you really afford to stand around wasting your breath right now'?)

Ash grimaced, for he knew Skarmory was right. Neither he nor Latias was ready to face such tough opponent again. One thing Ash was sure, and that was he was not going to count on Skarmory going to go easy on them.

"_What are we going to do now?_" asked Latias, doubt were heavy in her voice, "_I am not ready to face Winston again_"

"Don't worry, love," comforted Ash, "This time is different, we know his attacks and how he uses them. We have the advantage here."

Bolstered by the encouragement from her beloved Ash, Latias nodded happily. Maybe Ash has a plan to make them victorious for once! Placing herself in between Ash and Skarmory, Latias assumed her ready stance.

"Remember Jewel," called out Ash as he stepped back to a safe distance like a standard trainer battle, "That Skarmory uses a lot of disabling moves. Just watch out for his Toxic, Sandstorm and Spike, and you will be able to deal with his Steel Wing easily."

(Ladies first,) offered Skarmory as he too, lowered his posture to a battle stance.

Latias was only too eager to accept the offer. Learning from her past defeats, Latias developed a few underhanded tricks for herself. Before the Pokémon battle had officially began, she had already began to charge her Solar Beam without betraying too much of her intention. So as soon as Winston had offered her a chance to attack, Latias immediately launched off the super-charged sunlight and was already working on her Psychic to restrain Winston's movements. Even though Latias' ambush was a total success, it was not enough to unsettle the veteran Pokémon in front of her. Raising his wings like a shield, the Armor Bird Pokémon received the full force of Solar Beam by turning to his side. Putting all his strength into his shoulders, Winston shoved the concentrated sunlight back towards Latias. Seeing her own attack was being returned to her, Latias had no choice but to release her opponent in order to dive out of the way. The Solar Beam felt warm as it blew past Latias and exploded somewhere behind her in a cloud of snow, rock and dust. Winston the Skarmory counterattacked by choosing to stay on the ground and charged Latias with Steel Wing.

(The key to an effective ambush,) instructed the Armor Bird Pokémon as he slashed at Latias, (is NOT how fast you execute your attack or how subtly you can hide them,) here, Skarmory managed to score a hit on Latias, sending the red Eon Pokémon reeling back with pain, (but rather lies in how successful you are at eliminating the chances of your enemy's counter attack.)

Ash thought about the words of his instructor carefully as Latias growled at Skarmory, rubbing the spot on her ribs where the Steel Wing had clipped her. Even as the training session continued, the weather on Mount Silver peak began to shift. Cold gust of winds were becoming more frequent as the approaching storm cloud loomed inexorably closer. The two Pokémon battled a while longer, with Latias scoring quite a few decent hits on Skarmory, but to the young couple's disappointment, it seemed the tide of battle continued to go against them.

"_I just don't understand!_" exclaimed Latias privately in frustration to Ash, "_I've been hitting him and I've been hitting him hard! But that blasted steel bird is not going down!_"

"I know," replied Ash worriedly, "That Skarmory is unlike Lando's Dragonite we have fought before. He doesn't dodge like we expect him to. He is just… letting our attacks bounce off him…"

"_Hey, I just realized something_," said Latias brightly, "_Have you notice that all these time Winston has not taken off from ground? Despite being a Flying Pokémon, he has avoided the sky entirely!_"

'You're right, Jewel!" gushed Ash excitedly, "Something must be up. Let's turn the battle into an aerial one, that way we can use your speed as an advantage against Skarmory!"

Happy that she had contributed, Latias took flight and faced her opponent with renewed enthusiasm. Expanding her chest, Latias prepared to thoroughly drench Skarmory with her Surf attack. Just as she launched the attack, however, a stroke bad luck in form of a sudden strong gust befell Latias. With the wind blowing fully against her favor, the Surf instead had drenched the red Eon Pokémon from head to tail.

"LAAARRRR-chooo!" squeaked Latias rather adorably, as she sneezed and shook water out of her feathers.

(Terrain and weather,) explained Skarmory as he looked on impassively at the now shivering Latias, (They can be a battler's best ally or his worst enemy. To fight without first understanding them, it's like seeking out defeat yourself!)

"_Ash, I am cold,_" sniffed Latias, flying back to her trainer for a quick snuggle.

"I know, my dear, I know," replied Ash as he pulled her beloved Pokémon into a tight hug while trying not to look as business-like as possible in front of Skarmory who was watching the two of them carefully, "Say, Jewel," whispered Ash as he gave Latias a rub-down, "It seems like we are not going to beat Skarmory in a conventional battle, so why not just make a run for it? You distract Skarmory and make him chase you. I run the for mountain path and find somewhere to hide, then after you think enough time has passed, you lose Skarmory with your speed and we shall meet back at Tudor's cabin before the blizzard hits."

"_Yeah, that might work,_" said Latias after a careful thought, "_Let's try it now, it looks like we don't have much time left_" she finished by nodding towards the now distinct dark smudge in the sky.

Once more, taking to the air, Latias began to rain barrages of Surf, Solar Beam and Psychic down at Skarmory below her. Pressed by the long range attacks from Latias, the Armor Bird Pokémon took the bait and took to the air for the first time in their battle. After judging Latias had lured Winston the Skarmory out far enough, Ash made a dash for the mountain path hoping he could disappear from the battlefield without being noticed.

(Hm?) Skarmory glanced around behind him as he caught some movement from the corner of his eyes, (Oh no, you don't!)

With a quick whirl, Skarmory launched several Spikes which impaled themselves on the ground dangerously close to Ash. With a surprising turn of speed, Skarmory zoomed back to the ground and blocked off Ash.

(Stupidity… I can ignore…) Skarmory growled through gritted teeth; his anger reaching the highest point; his patience with the young trainer had gone beyond his limit, (Weakness, I can tolerate, for I believe those flaws can be remedied if you are willing to learn. But what I can't forgive… I can't forgive… I CAN'T FORGIVE YOUR COWARDICE!)

With his most terrible roar yet, the Armor Bird slashed down with his Steel Wing. There was an audible crunch of steel hitting bone and Ash fell to the ground with a shout of pain, clutching his now broken right leg.

"_ASH! NO!_ _" screamed Latias in horror._ Tucking in her arms, Latias zoomed towards her fallen lover with all her she did so, Latias felt a sudden constricting pain in her wings which caused her to tumble out of the sky and crash gracelessly to the ground.

(Wing cramp,) smirked Skarmory sadistically as he stalked towards where the red Eon Pokémon was, (It feel good doesn't it?) Standing over Latias, who was still struggling to get up despite her pain, Skarmory pointed one of his talon at Latias' wings, (The wings receive the least amount of blood flow, which goes true for all Pokémon capable of flight. Your mistake of overly relying on flight in this type of weather will result in paralyzing pain that will last for hours. Of course,) here Skarmory gripped one of Latias' wings with his talons and squeezed, (you know this now…)

The piercing shriek of Latias in pain ignited Ash's blood to the point of molten lava. Forgetting that he was injured, the enraged trainer scrapped the ground around him desperately for anything he might use as a weapon to hurt Skarmory. Closing his fist around a large rock he had found, Ash flung the rock at the back of Skarmory's head with a defiant yell.

-CLUNK!-

The rock bounced off the back of Skarmory's head with metallic thud. Turning around slowing and deliberately, Skarmory narrowed his eyes at Ash. After seeing the Armor Bird's eyes were filled with pure murderous rage, Ash began to regret his impulsive action. Walking back over to Ash, Winston the Skarmory unexpectedly gave the young trainer a polite smile as he stood over Ash.

(You sir, have just made the last mistake of your life!)

Ash saw a flash of metal beak and remembered no more.

Latias woke up amidst the howling wind and blinding snow. The sky was as dark as the ocean depths and the air was cold enough to make thoughts difficult. Groaning in pain, Latias tried to move her half-frozen body and found her hand came in contact with an object, which took her a moment to realize that it was her beloved Ash almost completely buried in snow. The young trainer's face was deathly pale and dried blood cake the left side of his head.

"_Ash?_" asked Latias warily, caressing her lover's face, "_Ash, you are cold!_"

Pulling Ash into her bosom, Latias did her best to shield her unconscious trainer from the relentless lashing of wind and snow. Even as Latias was struggling against the elements, the weather at the peak of Mount Silver continued to worsen until the world around Latias was nothing more than a blinding wall of wind, ice, snow and darkness.

"_Ash, wake up! We need to go!_" urged Latias, worried by the lack of response from Ash, "_Please, my love… wake up!_"

Even as Latias continued to urge and plead desperately, Ash remained cold and still as ever. As the couple continued to be exposed to the harsh elements, Latias could feel that her strength was gradually being sapped away and she had to fight to keep her eyes open.

"_Winston! You have gone too far this time!_" yelled Latias, projecting her telepathy over a wide area, "_Come out, wherever you are! Ash is greatly hurt_!"

But Skarmory was already long gone from the area. After several more attempts at calling out for Skarmory, Latias abandoned her efforts and tried to drag Ash to safety on her own. Already weakened from exertion and injuries from before the blizzard storm, Latias could barely drag the frozen body of Ash out of the snow before she too,, collapsed next to her trainer. The wind continued to intensify, threatening to bury the two lovers in pure white oblivion.

"_Ash… please…_" Latias muttered weakly, as she tugged at the young trainer's shirt, "_Ash, it's me, Jewel! Can't you hear me? I need you… I need you… so please…_"

Warms tears that leaked out of Latias' eyes immediately froze into twin trails of ice as the red Eon Pokémon placed her head against Ash's chest.

"_ASH, NO!_" thought Latias frantically as she sensed the heartbeat of her living treasure was slowly fading away, "_Ash, no! You can't! You can't… Don't fade away! You've promised… You've promised…"_

Latias frantically dug away at the mounting snow on Ash's frozen body in order to free him from being entombed in ice and snow. Sharp bits of ice and stone that were mixed into the snow cut at Latias' hand and broke the skin under her feathers; painting each scoop of snow red, but Latias did not care. The red Eon Pokémon shoveled away with her broken hand like a creature possessed. But unfortunately for her, no matter how hard she tried, the blizzard piled on more snow than Latias could dig away.

{STOP BLOWING, WIND!} screamed Latias, reverting back to her Pokémon speech as she had finally went mad with helpless frustration, {Stop blowing! Can't you see Ash is not dead! He is not dead! Stop trying to bury him!}

The shrill cry of Latias' plead was quickly snatched away and lost amidst the wind which howled back in reply.

{This is not fair,} murmured Latias weakly, slumping over her human lover's stiff form; utterly spent, {Why… What did I ever do to deserve this?}

Clingingly tightly on to Ash, Latias curled into a tight ball of defeat, as she released all her desire to remain on the world that had treated her so cruelly. As the creeping darkness closed in around her vision, Latias made one last wish to whatever fate that controlled the world.

{If one of us must die, take me instead. Ash doesn't deserve to fade away like this… Please… take me…}

Darkness took hold and everything went silent. There was no cold, no wind, no snow, and no pain. There was simply a peaceful silence. Latias knew for sure she was dead this time, but she did not mind. In a world that rejected the relationship between her and her one and true love, Latias had nothing that would make her hold back from leaving. Her only regret was that she did not get so bid farewell to her best friend Bianca and Lorenzo. And then, there was Latios. Endless wave of guilt washed over the red Eon Pokémon as Latias recalled that the last thing she did to her brother was to destroy of Soul Dew in defense of Ash. She had killed her brother upon the vow that she will become stronger to shield her beloved from all harm, yet despite her vows and efforts, Latias still failed miserably.

_Why do you despair, O Daughter of Alchemy?_

A fiery voice echoed in Latias' mind, surprising the red Eon Pokémon so much that she snapped opened her eyes and returned to the world of frozen reality. Within her, Latias felt a powerful presence. It was strong, wise and firm; yet at the same time, it was kind and gentle, comforting her body and soul like a soft summer drizzle onto a hard cracked ground after a long drought.

_An Alchemist is mistress of the elements. Look around you: _

_Wind, Earth and Water; they are all yours to command; _

_So why do you hesitate?_

Latias began to move in a trance-like state. Without fully knowing why, Latias felt like she could trust the strange voice in her head. She felt as if she shared a deep and ancient bond with the fiery stranger; a bond which endured the longest test of time. Pulling herself up into sitting position, Latias looked down at her frozen love. Ash did not look well at all. Frozen stiff and half-buried in snow, Ash Ketchum looked more like a part of the terrain than a frozen human. Already there were shades of blue and purple appearing on the young trainer's hands, cheek and lips. The sight of her beloved in critical state, gave all that was need for Latias to snap out of her reverie.

{No…_}_ gasped Latias in horror, {This can't be_!_}

_All dreams are but another reality. Never forget…_

This time, Latias understood the meaning of the phrase well. She knew what must be done.

{Tell me what I must do!} Latias cried out into the frozen void, {tell me how I can take control of my power to change reality!}

The fiery voice answered with yet another familiar phrase, but with slight variation.

_For those who control the elements must remember, _

_All dreams are but another reality. Never forget that_

_It's your heart that guides your power._

"_I…I don't understand,_" thought Latias desperately, for she was not accustomed with the new addition to the phrase found on the Tablet of Eon.

"_You must believe!_" interjected a new and younger voice. This voice was bright and golden, and had a brotherly feel about it, but in the urgency of her current situation, Latias could not tell exactly whose voice it was. All she knew was that she could have sworn that she had heard that voice before. "_And you must understand! Your power will allow you to reshape the elements and bend them to your will!_"

"_Who… Who are you?_" asked Latias confused tone

"_There is no time!_" urged the brotherly voice, "_You must take command of Water. Water, an element which can move and stop the world! When awake, Water will save life and move the creations; when asleep it has the power to stop all creation!_"

"_Water…_" muttered Latias slowly, as she scooped up a handful of snow

"_Earth," _continued the new voice, "_The basic foundation of all that exists in this world. With it, you can build Empires or obliterate continents_!"

"_Earth_…" repeated Latias as she fumbled amongst the snow until her hand came in contact with a pebble. As she picked up the smooth rock, her mind sudden exploded with blinding light of knowledge. Out of nowhere, ancient texts of formulas, diagrams, calculations poured into poured into her beleaguered mind to the point which Latias felt like it was going to burst from the pressure, but she persevered; for Latias knew the strange knowledge would be the key to control her mysterious hidden power.

"_Stage One of Fantasia, Shaper of Reality: Alteration_," recalled Latias from the new knowledge that now floated around in her mind.

Picking up the pebble, Latias' eyes turned bright golden in color as she reached forward with her mind into the molecular structure of the smooth rock. Latias let out a gasp of surprise as she felt the presence of the pebble in her hand which she had been felt before. It was as if the tiny rock had a will of its own; as if it was alive! Channeling her psychic energy into the pebble, Latias willed it to change. And changed it did. The pebble hopped out of Latias hand and began to expand and grow like a rubber balloon being blown up. Flowing and bending in ways that was normally impossible, the tiny rock grew and shaped itself into a dome like hut over the young couple right before Latias' wide, golden eyes. Sheltered from the harsh wind, Latias could already feel the temperature in the rock hut began to rise.

"_Water…_' said Latias, this time channeling her energy into the handful of snow.

With a tiny "POP!", the handful of snow instantly vaporized into a cloud of steam. More excited than surprised now, Latias quickly ran her hands across all the snow that covered the ground within the rock hut. With loud crackles, sizzles and hisses, all snow within the make-shift hut evaporated into a cloud of steam. Instantly, the atmosphere in the hut went from extreme cold to that of a humid tropical summer.

"_Ash!" _Latias reminded herself urgently, as she began to squeeze and massage the limbs and body of her beloved trainer, "Please do not let it be too late!"

After significant amount of hard labor, Ash Ketchum regained vitality with a croaking moan.

"Jewel…?" rasped Ash weakly, peaking through his unfocused and half-closed eyes at his lover

"_Ash_!" exclaimed Latias, tears of joy and gratitude flowed freely down her cheeks. Pulling her cherished treasure of her heart into a tight bear hug, the red Eon Pokémon cried softly on to Ash's shoulder.

"_Oh, thank the Eon you are alive! You are alive!_"

"J..Jewel…" protested Ash weakly while trying his best to crack a smile, "It… hurts…"

"Yes, of course, precious!" gushed Latias, hurriedly letting go of Ash

"What happened?"

"_I will explain later,_" said Latias quickly, "First we need to get of this peak."

Calling upon the knowledge to manipulate Wind, Latias found a way to trap warm air around herself and Ash, and dismantled the rock hut around them. Their re-exposure to the frozen world shocked them enough to cause the young couple to blink, but thanks to the pockets of warm air Latias had created, they were able to endure.

"_Well done…_" commented the brotherly voice that taught Latias Alchemy; now for some reason sounded very fatigued.

"_Thank you,_" replied Latias gratefully as the presence withdrew from her mind

Leaning on each other for supported the young couple made slow progress down the mountain path, away from the peak. As Ash and Latias travelled further way from the peak, the wind started to die down until it was no more, and all that remained was the steady falling of fluffy, white snow. Just as the young couple thought they were safely away from danger, an ear-piercing shriek sounded overhead, followed by a swooping sound and a flash of steel.

"_Winston!_" gasped Latias in terror

In turned out, Winston the Skarmory had not left the area around the peak after all, but rather the wily Armor Bird Pokémon was waiting patiently at the edge of the blizzard in case his victims made it out of the storm alive. It seemed Skarmory was about to be rewarded for his patience. Wings alight in Steel Wing attack; Skarmory circled the young couple below him in a final approach for a finishing blow. Gently putting down her Ash, Latias moved forward to intercept Skarmory despite Ash's weak protests. Even as she did, Latias was unsure if she was even fit enough to delay Skarmory, but she knew no matter how hopeless it seemed, she had to try.

"_Latias!_" exclaimed the mysterious brotherly voice, once again contacting Latias from an unknown source, "_Call upon the power of Water within you_!"

It took Latias a second to understand what the mysterious voice meant, but when she did, Latias did not hesitate to obey. Drawing in a deep breath, Latias prepared her Surf attack.

"Good, hold on to that feeling," encouraged mysterious voice as Winston the Skarmory rushed in a beeline at Latias. Strange chanting echoed in Latias' head as Skarmory let out a shriek of victory; his wings poised to strike.

_Forge upon the harshest peak; a blade once flowing;_

_Cast aside your bounds and crash down upon where I point!_

_A white lightning streaks across the sky; the world stop by your intention!_

Skarmory was almost upon Latias now, but the red Eon Pokémon stood her ground with determined defiance. The voice in her head crescendo into a deafening roar as Latias felt a surge of golden energy flooded throughout her.

_Strike! A blade that stops all Creation…!_

"LLLAAAARRRWWWAARRR!"

With a long, drawn out cry, Latias released the pent up Surf just as Winston the Skarmory made his move to strike. But instead of a jet of water like Latias was expecting, a beam of cold lighting issued from her mouth and struck Skarmory heavily on his left wing.

(GUUUWAAAH!) cried out Skarmory in pain as his left wing, now encased in a block of ice, caused him to lose his balance and crash to the cold, hard ground in an untidy heap.

"… Ice Beam…" whispered Ash softly to himself, as he bore witness to the incredible turn of events before him.

Latias' eyes flashing in pride, fury and excitement of impending victory, the red Eon Pokémon flew brazenly to Skarmory and pressed her claws right at the Armor Bird Pokémon's throat.

(Ha…Ha…Ahaha…) Skarmory half-gasped, half-laughed through his pain, (Now I've seen everything… A senior officer… got his wing… clipped by a mere hatchling…)

Skarmory groaned as Latias dug her claws in between the gaps of her opponent's plate armor. Breathing hard, Skarmory managed to give the Red Eon Pokémon a smile of acknowledgment as his eyes started to become unfocused.

(Lieutenant… Winston… S.K. Armory…) panted Skarmory, his voice fading away slowly, (Hereby… submits… unconditional… sur…ren..der…)

And thus with a heavy flop, the steel drillmaster went unconscious, and Latias claimed her first victory in her training progress.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Please don't forget to leave comments or subscribe if you enjoyed the story thus far!**


	19. Chapter 19: Destiny Bond

**Author's Note:**

**Let's celebrate Summer vacation with Chapter 19!**

* * *

**Destiny Bond**

Several hours before the duel above the peak of Mount Silver, Latios managed to find himself a quiet enclave with a pond near the outskirts of Silver Town to rest and hide for the day. He liked the place he had chosen. It was quiet, cool and near a body of water; just like the Secret Garden back at his beloved Altomare. Having chased out awkwardly by Bianca, Latios hoped that the sanctuary he found will provide him the much needed rest from the recent turn of events. As the warm summer wind whisked through the enclave and playfully ruffled the feathers of the blue Eon Pokémon resting at the edge of the pond, Latios turned on his side for the countless time. It seemed Latios was not getting the rest he was looking for.

Ever since the events in Dragon Den, Latios had been experiencing strange and unexplainable phenomenon, but the current one he is experiencing is by far the worst. After the second trigger of his mysterious new ability, Latios had been hearing strange echoing voices in his head, voices that were fragmented and senseless. No matter how hard he tried to block them out, he was not successful. Even as he settled down by the quiet area he had found, the mysterious voices kept on plaguing him and preventing him from receiving any respite.

_Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! According to the Theorem, which clearly states a_

_successful Manipulation requires two parts focus and three parts mind…_

A particular loud wave of echo surged through Latios' mind as the voice of a very agitated Latios. It was immediately interrupted by an equally shrill voice of a Latias which apparently was engaged in some sort of argument with the first voice.

_Nonsense! You're wrong and the Theorem is wrong! Clearly the proper_

_way to Manipulate is four parts focus and one part…_

"_SHUT UP! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" _roared Latios in his mind, slashing the thin air around him at his invisible tormentors, "_A successful Manipulation takes three parts focus, two parts mind power and five parts life force of the user! Otherwise, the result will be nothing but a hollow shell!"_

Latios had no idea how he knew such knowledge or where it came from, for the words flowed out of him as naturally as a river flows down a mountain. Although he was disturbed by his random outburst, Latios was thankful that it had caused the echoing in his head to subside enough for him to endure. With a frustrated sigh, the blue Eon Pokémon flopped down once again next to the edge of the pond and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

For a while the constant echoing in Latios' head faded into a dull throbbing at the back of his mind, but it soon returned instead as images and began to flash through Latios' mind while he dreamt. In his dream Latios witnessed many astounding accomplishments of his Alchemist ancestors. Pillars of fire, crackling lightning, thundering waves of water and howling wind came and went at the Alchemists' beck and call. He witnessed the use of psychic power in ways which he never had imagined, and Latios had no doubt that if his ancient kinds did not hunger for power as they did, the Pokémon world would had been a very different place.

Soft rain started to fall, waking Latios from his slumber with their refreshing coolness. Looking up at the sky, Latios figured that quite some time had passed, for the sky was now dark and gray. Shifting his attention towards the town, Latios noticed that a large bank of dark clouds swirled around the peak of Mount Silver. Having spent all of his years in Altomare, one look at the pattern of the clouds, the Azure Guardian immediately recognized a storm cloud when he saw one, and was sure that a very fierce storm was raging at the snow-capped peak of the mountain. Worried that the storm would soon sweep over Silver Town, Latios tried to gauge the magnitude of the approaching front by sending his psychic energy at it, but the dark and angry clouds were beyond his range and ability to reach. With a tired sigh, Latios levitated off from the ground and heard a series of dull crackles and pops as his joints ground into action. Even though he had lain on the ground for hours, Latios did not feel like he had slept a wink at all and now that he was awake, the tormenting echoes in his mind returned. Another glance at the ever intensifying storm at the peak of Mount Silver suddenly reminded Latios of his sister.

"_Latias…"_ whispered Latios worriedly to himself; praying to all that's Eon that his sister, wherever she was, she would be as far away from the peak as possible.

"You are worried about her, aren't you?"

The sudden sound of a deep human-like voice caused Latios to whirl around in a hurry to confront the source, with claws raised to defend himself if necessary. The sight that confronted him not only made Latios to lower his claws, but also caused his jaws to drop. In front of the Azure Guardian was another Latios, or what appeared to be another Latios as the newcomer was translucent white and had a ghostly appearance to him. Even his whole body looked ethereal and otherworldly.

"_Go away,_" snapped Latios angrily, "_I am NOT that crazy enough to start hallucinating!_"

Instead of disappearing, the new Latios appeared to be more confused than anything else.

"_I am going to close my eyes now. When I open them again, you better not be there still,_" continued Latios, squeezing his eyes shut, "_Mysterious mind-controlling powers, strange echoes in my head, I am sick of it! I am sick of it all!_"

Latios peeled opened his eyes expectantly, but to his disappointment and frustration, the ethereal Latios remained in front of him.

"_Still here?_" asked Latios dejectedly. The ethereal Pokémon nodded solemnly in reply.

"_Why?!_" demanded Latios, "_Why must you torment me like this? You are not real; you're just a figment of my imagination, you're not real!_"

The Azure Guardian seemed like he was on the verge of insanity as he was hugging his head, screaming and shouting with telepathy and raved around like a rabid Pokémon. With an expression of puzzled amusement, the ghostly apparition sent a column of psychic energy towards Latios so fast that the blue Eon Pokémon barely had time to register that he was under attack before the energy knocked him cleanly into the air backwards. With a tremendous splash Latios belly-flopped painfully into the middle of the pond, sending miniature tidal waves to the pond's edge.

"_Okay… You're real…_" admitted Latios grudgingly, "_So, who are you and what are you doing here?_"

"I believe we have met before, young one," said the ghostly Latios calmly, folding his arms into his body, "Your presence was indeed very refreshing to my Soul Dew after centuries of solitude."

Latios racked his brain through recent memories for the reference the ghostly stranger was talking about.

"…_Clovis…?_" asked Latios in curiosity and disbelief

"That is LORD Clovis to you, young one," replied Lord Clovis disapprovingly

Latios, for the life of him, couldn't figure out why his ancient ancestors were so finicky about their nobility title, but for the sake of convenience, he decided not to ask.

"_So, how are you here?" _asked Latios "_Isn't your Soul Dew entombed beneath the Dragon Shrine_?"

"I see that you are having troubles with your new body," replied Lord Clovis without addressing Latios' question, "I guess such set back is expected considering that-"

"_Hold on,_" interrupted Latios, "_What do you mean by that? What do you mean by "new body"?!_"

"-Considering that the mind is still too frail to contain the overflowing energy," finished Lord Clovis, totally ignoring the young Latios.

"_Hey Are you even listening to me?!_" demanded Latios as his claws slipped through the ethereal from of the ancient apparition for trying, but failing to grab its shoulders.

"I heard you the first time, young one," replied Lord Clovis, "Hence, I want to you listen to me carefully. What I am about to tell you will explain my presence here, why there are strange events happening to you and what you must do from now on."

Thus, the ancient spirit of Lord Clovis began, shocking the young Latios in front of him with such unbelievable tales that the Azure Guardian was not sure if he could ever close his jaws again. The ancient spirit began with Latios' current ailment. As implied before, the spirit explained that the body of Latios now is no longer an imitation created by turning his Soul Dew into a corporeal form, but rather it is a true flesh and blood, living body of a Pokémon. Apparently, according to Lord Clovis, when Latios first made contact with the ancient Soul Dew, the fading power that remained in Clovis' Soul Dew was not enough to materialize into a conscious being. Instead, the ancient sprit secretly transferred his remaining soul into Latios' Soul Dew, thinking he would bide his time until he can explain everything to the Azure Guardian. But when Lord Clovis' plan of escaping from his tomb was being threatened by Clair, the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, the ancient spirit did the only thing he could think of. He drained all the energy within the young Soul Dew and with the knowledge of Alchemy, Clovis rapidly forged a flesh and blood shell based on the corporeal form of the Soul Dew. Lord Clovis confessed to Latios that at first he had planned to take over the control of the new body and make his escape back into the world after dealing with every being that was involved at the Dragon Shrine. But fortunately for Latios, the ancient spirit's plan did not go as planned. Apparently during the process of forging a new body, Lord Clovis had woven parts of his soul into it, which in turned gave Latios all sorts of mysterious powers that he couldn't control.

"Which is why you are experiencing what you are experiencing now," said Lord Clovis, wrapping up, "That body of yours now contains eons of knowledge and power and it remembers them. Yet, your mind is still young and inexperienced, thus unable to control that power."

"_Why you….dirty…despicable…_" growled Latios, trembling with conflicting emotions, for he was not sure if he should be grateful or enraged by what Lord Clovis did to him.

"Don't be so quick to judge yet," said Lord Clovis, raising a hand "In return, you are given unimaginable power; something you will never be able to obtain through normal means."

"_But look at me_!_" _shouted Latios, "_I am messed up! I am causing my friend to act against her will, I am hearing all these strange voices in my head, I am-"_

"Right now you are, yes," agreed Lord Clovis inconsiderably, "But I know of a way to cure you."

Latios stared at the ancient apparition in disbelief.

"Take my essence," said Lord Clovis, holding out his hand, "Doing so will allow you to become a Shaper. You will then not only be able to gain full control over your mind and body, but also all the beings that exist around you!"

"_Ha!_" snorted Latios, "_As if such existence can come so easily! There must be something you are not telling me_."

The spirit of Lord Clovis hesitated and then bowed his head in respect to the young Azure Guardian before him. It heartened the ancient Pokémon knowing that even after millennia had passed, the superior intellect of his kind is still being preserved.

"You are quite right, young one," smiled Lord Clovis approvingly, "It's always proper to be cautious when offered great power. If the Empire still exists, you would have made a fine Archon."

"_Your empty appeasement means nothing to me, old one_," snapped Latios, "_So, out with it then. What are the consequences of this proposal of yours_?"

Lord Clovis scowled slightly at the mention of "old one", but the ancient spirited decided to let the remark slide. Taking in a deep breath the apparition began to explain. According to the ghostly Latios, the existence of Lord Clovis had long vanished centuries ago and his Soul Dew was too weak to even respond to outside contact, let alone becoming a corporeal form. The apparition went on to explain that Lord Clovis was once a Shaper, a special title given to an Alchemist who specialized in one type of Manipulation. In Lord Clovis' case, he was master of knowledge and mind of all creatures in the world, thus earning him the title as the Shaper of Mind. What Latios sees before him then, the ancient spirit explained, are the scattered fragments of Lord Clovis' soul and knowledge that was accidentally woven into Latios' new body. It seemed that while Latios was sleeping, these scattered fragments were able to concentrate enough to present themselves in front of Latios as a familiar image.

"Now here is the important part," lectured the ancient spirit, raising his voice a little as he sensed the young Latios in front of him was getting bored, "Your current suffering is due to your mind and body are rejecting my presence. Once you accept my essence into you, you will then assume my role as the next Shaper of Mind. Then, and only then your suffering will stop."

"_That's it_?" asked Latios impatiently, rubbing his temple as the extended period of suppressing his echoing mind was beginning to hurt his head, "_All I have to do is 'accept your essence' into my being_?"

"Well… There is one more thing," added Lord Clovis hesitantly, "All Shapers are bound by Destiny and those who Shape it. Your fate, in a sense will no longer be your own once you become a Shaper."

"_What?_!" exclaimed Latios loudly, "_Why are you telling that to me now?_!" Recalling his memories of the ancient chamber beneath the Dragon Shrine, Latios continued, "_The Shaper of Destiny… The Shaper of Destiny was a human! Are you trying to tell me I am going to be bound by a HUMAN?_!"

The spirit of Lord Clovis nodded solemnly.

"When High Priestess Euphemia turned one of our kinds into a human prince, she unknowingly created a new race, a race which we later named 'The Chosen Ones'," said Lord Clovis, "These Chosen Ones did not possess the amount of direct power like we did, but they possessed unfathomable amount of life force energy and innate power. Their innate power was so strong that just by their EXISTENCE; the course of the world seemed to change on its own. This is why we called them 'The Shaper of Destiny'. By creating this new race, the fate of our species became intertwined with theirs."

"_But the 'Chosen Ones' disappeared, along with the Alchemist Empire_," said Latios, with a hint of hope in his voice.

"Who knows, maybe you're right, young one," shrugged the ancient spirit, "But perhaps just like the bloodline of Empire is in front of my eyes, somewhere out there, the Chosen Ones still exist."

"_Then I am not doing it_," said Latios abruptly, turning his back to Lord Clovis, "_First of all, I don't trust you, second of all, I don't like the idea of being bound to some strange HUMAN even if they are the so called 'Chosen Ones', and finally I don't need your help. I don't want your dangerous sounding knowledge of Alchemy, and I certain DON'T want some ridiculous relic title of the past!_"

The spirit of Lord Clovis stared at the back of Latios sadly as the younger Pokémon got ready to leave. Sighing quietly to himself the ancient spirit felt sorry for the Azure Guardian, for little did Latios know, his fate had already been decided eons before he was hatched. Lord Clovis saw everything while he was inside Latios' memories. It was no mere accident that Ash and his companions arrived on the day Altomare came under attack. It was no mere coincident that Latios reunited with Ash again after his transcendence. Every event that happened was merely a perquisite for Latios to discover his species' ancient past and the meeting with Lord Clovis. Latios was destined to be a Shaper long ago and the ancient spirit of Lord Clovis was merely trying to give the younger Latios a choice to accept his fate willingly.

"You don't need the power of Alchemy, huh…" said Lord Clovis quietly as Latios was taking off, "I wish I can say the same for your sister."

As he finished his sentence, Lord Clovis sent a vivid image of distressed Latias frozen at the peak of Mount Silver desperately digging away at a mound of snow to Latios' mind. The image felt so real and life-like that Latios sensed a sharp tug in his heart.

"_YOU LEAVE LATIAS OUT OF THIS_!" roared Latios as he whirled around and charged Lord Clovis with his claws outstretched. The Azure Guardian was enraged by the fact that the ancient apparition would use such underhand trickery to force an unwanted offer on him.

Unfazed by the charging Latios, Lord Clovis calmly waved his left hand, suspending the blue Eon Pokémon as easily as if he was hanging a piece of laundry out to dry.

"_Let go of me, you beast!_" shouted Latios, thrashing against the bonds of his invisible prison, "_How dare you use such trickery on me!_'

"There is no trickery," replied Lord Clovis, "It seems in your deteriorated mental state, you have failed to notice the fading link between you and your sister."

"_What are you trying to say_?" asked Latios as he continued to struggle.

"Look carefully, young one," said Lord Clovis, point at the peak of Mount Silver, "You will see the answer for yourself if you concentrate hard enough."

Following Lord Clovis' instruction, Latios squinted at the snowcapped peak of the mountain and focused his thoughts. The sound of rain suddenly became loud from the momentary silence between the two Dragon Pokémon. After some difficulty, Latios managed to pierce through the raging blizzard and brushed against the edge of Latias' mind. Latias' vitality was so weak that she did not even notice her brother's touch on her consciousness.

"_Latias_!" exclaimed Latios fearfully back at the secluded enclave, "_How did she wind up there_?!"

"Your sister had been lost in that storm for quite some time now, and she is fading away fast," said Lord Clovis.

"_You knew about this?!_" raged the blue Eon Pokémon, "_Let me go! I need to save Latias!_"

"You and I both know it will be too late by the time you fly up there," reminded the ancient spirit heartlessly, "Only the power of Alchemy; my power, can save her now!"

Latios bit hard on his lips as he wanted to find an alternative to his situation, but he could not.

"Take my essence," urged the spirit of Lord Clovis, stretching out his hand towards Latios, "Become the Shaper of Mind; become what you are destined to be, and use that power to save your sister!"

Latios felt like the world was rapidly constricting around him. The sudden pressure of choice that was thrown at him threatened to rob him of his sanity. Latios could barely understand the rapid change of his life in the past few days; from his attempt to murder Ash, to his sister's betrayal, to the dream-like events in Blackthorn City. Now he was told that he was no longer a Soul Dew, but a resurrected Pokémon given, no, FORCED upon him an existence that he doesn't fully believe in!

"You must choose!" came the urging voice of Lord Clovis once again, " And choose quickly too, for you don't have much time left!"

Latios just wanted everything to end. He wanted the dreaded whispering in his head to end; he wanted the strange adventure he was thrust into to end; and most important of all, he wanted the danger his sister somehow always gets into to end. With some difficulty, the blue Eon Pokémon stretched out his hand and reached towards Lord Clovis. Latios would do anything to end this nightmare now. If it meant believing and giving in to some ancient myth, then so be it.

"You have chosen wisely, young one," smiled Lord Clovis his ethereal hand making contact with Latios'.

As soon as the spirited touched Latios' hand, the transformation to the Shaper of Mind began. Immediately, Latios felt his mental power grew exponentially. The horrid echoes and whisperings in his mind were swept away like dried leaves before an autumn gale. Physically, Latios also grew. He felt his muscles expand and his wings lengthen before his yes, as if he had just underwent several years of growth in a few seconds. Chancing a glance into the pond, Latios noticed that his eyes too, had permanently changed to bright golden yellow, just like his sister's.

"There is still a little time left in me to guide you on how to wield your Shaper's power," said the voice of Lord Clovis in Latios' mind. Following the instruction provided by Lord Clovis and the knowledge that filled his mind, Latios established a link with Latias' barely conscious mind and urged with all sense of urgency he could muster.

"_You must believe!_" pressed Latios, "_And you must understand! Your power will allow you to reshape the elements and bend them to your will!_"

"_Who… Who are you?_" replied Latias in fearful and confused tone

"_There is no time!_" insisted Latios, "_You must take command of Water. Water, an element which can move and stop the world! When awake, Water will save life and move the creations; when asleep it has the power to stop all creation!_"

"_Water…_" muttered Latias slowly; Latios could feel through his connection with Latias that his sister had just scooped up a handful of snow.

"_Earth," _continued the blue Eon Pokémon, "The basic foundation of all that exists in this world. With it, you can build Empires or obliterate continents!"

With that, Latios poured a torrent of ancient texts, formulas, diagrams, and calculations into Latias' mind, all the while hoping he would not send his sister into a shock. But to his surprise, not only did Latias readily accept the new information, her mind soaked them up as if it had been waiting for a long time for the information to arrive.

"_Stage One of Fantasia, Shaper of Reality: Alteration_," Latios heard his sister say through his mental connection.

"_Fantasia… did she just say 'Fantasia'?" _wondered Latios mystified by the reaction he received from Latias, "_Surely, she doesn't mean…she can't… I mean, that can't be possible, right?_"

"_It would seem,_" replied the voice of Lord Clovis, "_We have found ourselves another Shaper._"

Latios continued to observe in stunned wonder as his sister created a makeshift shelter from the pebble she had picked up and filled it with warm air by evaporating the snow within the interior of the shelter; all without any further prompting from Latios. As he monitored Latias' progress through his mental link, Latios began to notice the drain on his energy to maintain such link, but Latios endured the fatigue; for he couldn't bear to lose his beloved little sister again.

"_Well done…_" said Latios after he had noticed Latias had recovered enough. He withdrew his mental presence from Latias mind just enough to maintain a passive observance in order to make sure Latias was able to leave the peak unharmed. Latios was glad that he had maintained such presence because a short time later, he sensed a powerful predator-like creature swooping down towards Latias.

"_A Skarmory!_" gasped Latias in shock, "_Quick, Clovis, what do I do here?_"

"_I-I don't know!_" blurted the voice of Lord Clovis in Latios' head, "_There is the 'Resonance Stage Two: Knowledge Subjugation', which allows the user to wield any attack known to the world; but it's such an advance Alchemy… Not to mention you are inexperienced… And the target is far away…."_ The voice faded into that of a panicked babble.

"_Just show me how!_" exclaimed Latios impatiently.

When Lord Clovis complied, Latios was taken aback by the sheer amount of knowledge he was presented with. There were hundreds upon hundreds of Pokémon moves, all of them sealed in forms of incantations of some sort. As Latios desperately sifted through the chaotic flood of knowledge in his mind, the blue Eon Pokémon knew that none of them had the range needed to stop Latias' attacker from his location. Time had just run out. Through his passive observance, Latios sensed that his sister had also noticed her attacker and felt a wave of despair washed over her mind. Then a stroke of inspiration struck Latios.

"_Latias! Call upon the power of Water within you_!" exclaimed Latios urgently, once again establishing an active link between him and his sister. He was relieved that Latias did not argue.

"_What are you trying to do?_" asked Lord Clovis in warning.

"_If I can't reach that Skarmory from here, I just have to make Latias attack for me,_" said Latios as he frantically sort through his new massive archive of knowledge in his mind.

"_But that is impossible!_" said Lord Clovis, "_She is not the Shaper of Mind! She won't have the ability to-_"

"_No,_" interrupted Latios, "_But I can alter the ability Latias knows in her mind as long as the elements are similar! It's part of the knowledge you had shown me just now, Clovis. Resonance Stage Two, Version Two: Ability Exchange!_"

Within a corner of Latios mind, the remaining spirit of Lord Clovis was awed by the Azure Guardian.; for this young Latios had grasped and learned knowledge that took the ancient spirit decades to develop. Seizing the information he needed with his mind, Latios channeled all his energy into Latias' mind as he chanted.

_Forge upon the harshest peak; a blade once flowing;_

_Cast aside your bounds and crash down upon where I point!_

_A white lightning streaks across the sky; the world stop by your intention!_

_Strike! A blade that stops all Creation…! ICE BEAM!_

From the other end of the mental link, Latias sent a ripple of energy back at her brother as her pent up attack streaked across the sky. Utterly spent, Latios terminated his mental link and slumped down onto the ground.

"_It's hard to believe , after all these centuries I get to witness the ascension of such talent,_" commented the spirit of Lord Clovis approvingly, "_Arise a new Shaper! I think you will do just fine…."_

And thus with a final sense of satisfaction, the millennia old ghost faded away into nothingness.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Resonance Stage Two and its Second Version are inspired by the Pokemon move Metronome and TMs respectively. I know Latios can't learn Metronome by any normal means, but then again, he had Gameshar- *ahem* I mean, ancient knowledge of Alchemy on his side. So... yeah...  
**


	20. Mini-dossier: The Alchemist Empire

**Author's Note:**

**Mini-dossiers are stand-alone chapters that serve to provide a little more details to some components of the story. Although they are not directly connected to the main story line, I hope you will still find them interesting to read and hope they will answer some of the questions you may have.**

**The following information was stumbled upon by Latios while he was combing through the vast amount of knowledge that now occupies his mind, and translated it into modern language.**

* * *

**Mini-Dossier: The Alchemist Empire**

_The Encyclopedic Entries of The Alchemist Empire, its Society and History_ by Lady Mirabelle, Twenty-Seventh of the Great Archivist, Keeper of High Knowledge, Manipulator of Pash'raka Region, Fifty-Forth Archon of the High Order. :

As our beloved Empire grows I have been charged with the task to compile a comprehensive guide for our future generations and vassals. Here, one shall find all that is current about the Alchemist Empire at the time when these collections of information were put together.

**History**

It is very important to understand the beginning in order to fully appreciate the insurmountable glory of the Alchemist Empire. Like all creatures in the world, our kind was made into existence by the Creator, but unlike the others, we were blessed with exceptional intellect and physical strength. It was due to these exceptions, a small group of our kind, those who would later be known as the Alchemists, was able to develop a higher level of sentience, and thus becoming the natural leaders of our kind. These enlighten ones quickly understood that the sole purpose for their creation was to rule. With this understanding, the first foundation to the Alchemist Empire was placed. In the matter of few short decades, the Alchemists developed languages, arts, calculations and architectures. This discovered knowledge was collectively known as "Alchemy".

**The Alchemist Empire**

Even as our kind had discovered Alchemy, we continued to suffer for many generations in the dry and sandy region where we were first created. The harsh climate had claimed the lives of many hatchlings before on day, a pair of young twins, hatched with exceptional gifts, even for an Alchemist, made a discovery that changed the fate of our kind. They had found that instead of only applying our discovered knowledge within physical constraints; such knowledge could be applied through our psychic power and be used to change the property of the world itself! Armed with that discovery, our dry and sandy region quickly grew into lush and fertile land, and the twins were celebrated as living treasure of our kind. The twin's discovery also changed the ways of our life. What used to take years to accomplish, now took mere seconds to achieve. Weather, terrain, season, and natural disasters all became trivial matters as our kind simply willed the world into whichever ways we desired. Before long, even the meaning of Alchemy had changed to better fit the definition of the twin's discovery. The older of the twins grew into a proud and strong Latios and went on to become our first High Priest, while his sister established the Academy and became its first Grand Master. Overjoyed by our successes and discoveries, our kind was eager to share our knowledge with the rest of the world, but sadly, it was not to be; for our generosity was met with distrust from other creatures around the world, and our benevolence was repaid with hostility. It was then our High Priest realized that in order for our knowledge to spread, our kind must expand our territories. Thus, we began our centuries long conquest until we stood where we are now; as the sole and undisputed ruler of the world.

**Alchemist**

Alchemists are referred to as the physically and mentally talented individuals who make up the core of our Empire. With the establishment of the Academy, it is now possible for a Common to become an Alchemist through determination and hard work. If a Latios or a Latias decides to become an Alchemist, they would enter the Academy as an acolyte, from where they would begin their study. At any point in their study, should an acolyte decide that they were ready, they would be subjected to series of lengthy and exhausting tests to become an Alchemist. Should they pass, they would be acknowledged and elevated to the rank of a full fledged Alchemist. From then, an Alchemist has a choice of pursuing the path of knowledge as High Alchemist or hones their martial prowess by joining the Rune Knights. Whether an Alchemist decides on one path or the other, the choice is not permanent; therefore it would not be surprising to see an Archon who is proficient in both paths. The Empire's strongest Alchemists are referred to as Archons of the High Order which consists of a hundred of our best, ranked in their relative strength. The top five Archons are also known as the Shapers, who are so skilled in the path of their choice, the things they are capable of accomplishing go beyond any common imagination. It is also amongst these Shapers, the next High Priest or High Priestess is decided.

**The Discovery of Humans**

Another point that is as important as the redefining of Alchemy in our history is the discovery of the new creatures known as the "Humans". Around two hundred years ago, on Year Thirty-Nine of High Priest Amman'Rah's Reign, one of our explorer teams made the astounding discovery in the wild lands to the North. These new creatures were bipedal, came in various sizes and colors, and quite unlike other creatures in the world, these new discoveries did not possess any form of base element within them. The few specimens our explorers managed to bring back triggered a wave of curious interest, which in turn led to a mass scramble to study these creatures by our Alchemists. Our initial excitement, however, quickly led to a major disappointment. Physically frail and easily perishable, these new creatures did not yield any results that would deem useful to the Empire. Since the only coherent thing we could make out during our studies was the phrase "Heu-Mahn", which were repeated by the specimens as they were subjected to our Alchemists' experiments, we have decided to name these creatures "Human" and released the surviving specimens into the uninhabited region of Umekcht where we thought they would then perish on their own.

For the next few decades, our kind had forgotten about the humans, until one day, Archon Mavis, Third Archon of the High Order, Shaper of Mind, sensed a tremendous reserve of life energy from the supposedly uninhabited region of Umekcht. When a scouting team was dispatched to the area, they were astonished by what they had seen. Instead of fading away, the humans flourished despite their defects. In order to learn more about such wondrous phenomenon, our Alchemists once again scrambled to conduct research on the humans. Our second encounter yielded much more fruitful results than the first. There were several conclusions which were drawn from the initial study. First, the humans breed at a very alarming rate. In the period between our first and second encounter, the stock of humans had already reached a number that rivaled some of our major cities' population. Second, the humans are very tenacious species as a whole. This fact is directly tied to the first observation. Even though as individuals they were frail and easily perishable, they were able to replace their losses fairly quickly, therefore ensuring the continuation of their kind. In essence, they were surviving through sheer numbers! Never before did our kind witness such curious form of survival method. Third, is their amazing level of adaptivity, which in turn is tied to the first and second observation. Since only their strongest and brightest were able to survive, we have noticed that the humans were in fact becoming stronger as the time passes. Also unlike our kind who bends the nature to our will to ensure survival, the humans seek to "fit" into the Nature. For example, rather than simply pulverizing a mountain that got in the way of territorial expansion, like we do, the humans would carve their dwellings into the side of the mountain. Finally, a trait which our Alchemists found as the most interesting was the humans' ability to learn and remember. The humans first displayed that trait when our scouting party came in contact with them. There, our scouts witnessed strange and unusual behaviors which they had not seen from other creatures in the world. Instead of being greeted with hostility and distrust like they were used to, the humans retreated before our scouts, all the while cowering and averting their eyes and muttering the words "Phir! Phir!" Thus, we have decided to label this strange behavior as "Fear", after the sound that was made by the humans. Given their special potential, the Alchemists were divided on the issue on how the humans should be approached. Some believed that our kind should rejoice at the opportunity given to us to advance our knowledge by nurturing and studying such exotic creatures, while others believed that the potential growth of humans would eventually threaten the integrity of the Empire, therefore believed that the humans must be eliminated. There were many supporters on each side of the issue, and for the first time in our history, there was a division within the Empire. Unfortunately, in the end, the faction that believed humans as a threat emerged victorious in the debate, leading to a tragedy known as The Culling of Umekcht.

Then something unexpected had happened. Instead of fading away into the gray mist of history like the rest of our previous conquests, the few specimens that miraculously survived the Culling chose to rebuild their region; much to the dismay of those who wished for a peaceful co-existence. Their display of tenacity only solidified the position of those who see the humans as a threat, which in turn led to a continuous cycle of destruction and rebuilding that is still going on until this day. Despite, these critical setbacks, the humans, amazingly enough, still managed to established a city-sized gathering in the Umekcht Region we see today.

_-Marked as Year Two-Hundred-Fifty-Seven of our Illustrious High Priestess Cattleya's Reign*; Her Glory Everlasting._

* * *

* Approximately 315 years before High Priestess Euphemia and the events seen in Latios' vision.


	21. Chapter 20: Second Training begins

**Author's Note: **

**I sincerely apologize for just ginormous delay. Vacation, procrastination and distraction, these are the bane of all story writers, and I happened to fall victim of them. But no worries, I have not forgotten this stories nor my supporters; which is why I shall work doubly hard to try and make up for the lost time. My only wish is that all of you will forgive me for being truant on the updates.**

**And of course, please enjoy the read.**

* * *

**Second Training Begins**

_Ash… Ash…_

The sound of heavy panting could be heard over the steamy environment of the starry summer night. Green grass swayed and danced with the playful wind, while the ambient sound of night life sounded mute in the heavy air.

_Ash…! Ash…!_

The panting became more rushed now; a lot more rapid and forced as if from excitement or exhaustion. The delicate wind heaved a final longing sigh and herded away the cheeky banks of louds that hid the moon from the world.

_Latias!_

A second set of panting seemed to join the first, adding to the heaviness to the already hot and steamy atmosphere. The moon light seeped through reluctant wisps of cloud to reveal a grassy plain dotted with rolling hills. Small flowers and ferns decorated the scenery like ornaments decorate a fancy dress.

_Ash…! It hurts…!_

_I sorry, Jewel! Shall I stop?_

The sounds of panting seemed to ease up a little, but it did nothing to alleviate the hot steamy air of the starry summer night. Moonlight branched off into many prismatic beams of light as the vapors in the air shimmered and wavered.

_No… I…I am fine… I can keep going…_

_Jewel…_

Finally, the clouds became bored with flirting with the moon and moved on across the starry night sky, fully revealing the night scene below. The source of heavy panting originated from two shadowy figures on the plain; one of them had the silhouette of a young male trainer, the other, a Pokémon. The two of them were racing across the grassy plain while holding on to each other's hand. The destination of the figures was not clear, but it would seem both of them had been running for quite some time.

"_Ash, how much longer?_" asked Latias mixture of impatience, fatigue and excitement, "_My sides are really hurting now._"

"Just a little bit further, Jewel," comforted Ash Ketchum and urged his Legendary Pokémon along, "There! We're here! This is what I wanted to show you!"

The rolling grassy plain ended with a sheer cliff, which overlooked a rocky shoreline bordering the vast, unending sea. The waves lapped coyly against the unmoving rocks as if to tease them into joining the sea's warm embrace like a vivacious woman teasing her reluctant lover to join her. Although the picturesque vista of the seaside cliff was impressive by itself, it was not what Ash wanted to show Latias. The true breath-taking view of the scene was the number of glowing Water Pokémon responding to the night's call. Schools of Tantacool and Tantacruel, migrating shoals of Lanturn and even a few groups of Staryu and Starmie; all surfaced to answer the light of celestial bodies above them with lights of their own. The water Pokémon flickered and glowed according to the tide, which made the waves, looked like an undulating carpet of glowing light.

"_It's beautiful_…" breathed Latias, all her fatigue now forgotten.

"Let me show you something even more beautiful," said Ash slyly besides her.

"_Hmmm?_" Latias turned to see what her lover was referring to, but instead her lips met Ash's in mid-turn. The red Eon Pokémon didn't shy away from the surprise kiss; but rather she accepted Ash into her with all her heart. Latias was overflowing with joy and gratitude, for here at the edge of the land, there is no one else to judge their action. No more does the young couple has to hide their affection in front of the society's constraints, no more do they have to sneak a few quick kisses to show their love; for under the hot summer sky, their romance could be allowed to become just as steamy as the air around them. Heart racing, Latias aggressively pulled Ash forward to deepen the kiss, until both of them could feel each other's heart beating through each other's chest.

"Hah!" exclaimed Ash, expelling a giant pent up breath from his lungs," I can't take it anymore! We are going to do this!" With that, Ash hooked his fingers under the edge of his shirt and began to peel it off.

Latias' heart almost came to a screeching halt as Ash's sudden behavior triggered mass jumble of indecent thoughts in her not-so-innocent mind. Sure, she loves Ash to her death but such impulsive move out of nowhere…

"_E…Ehhhh…?_!" Latias managed to blurt out pass her initial shock, "_N…N…Now?!_"

"Don't worry, it's going to be okay," soothed Ash who is now topless, "I am here."

"_But…But…I am not ready_!" stammered Latias, wringing her hand in nervousness, all the while her cheeks were getting redder by the second.

"Just relax my dear," murmured Ash, tickling Latias' cheek with his breath as the young trainer put an arm around his Pokémon, "Trust me your fear will be over pretty soon."

"_O…Oh, alright_," Latias whispered back nervously as she prepared herself far what is to come, "_P…Please be gen…gentle_…" Latias could had sworn that the air around her grew to a level so stifling that she may need to shed all her feathers in order to cope.

As for Ash, the young trainer felt something was amiss as he was confused about his Pokémon's behavior and response.

"Huh? What are you talking about," asked Ash curiously, "I was thinking about how hot it is and that we should dive off the cliff for a quick swim."

"_Huh…_?" mimicked Latias with a blank expression on her face; all the mood of the moment evaporating into thin air.

"I know it can be scary at first," continued Ash obliviously, "But if we are careful and do it correctly, jumping off a cliff into the sea can be quite fun and refreshing!"

Latias was unsure if she should feel embarrassed or resentful at Ash for misleading her like that, but before she could decide, her beloved took her of her and held it fondly against the side of his cheek.

"Before we do that, there is something I must tell you," said Ash earnestly, closing his eyes in content as he rubbed his face against the soft feathers of Latias' hand, "Jewel-"

(Keep droolin li' 'a' 'n tha'il soon flood dis place.)

-CLUNK!-

For the second time of the week, Latias was given a rude awakening. This time, she leaped up from her sleeping bag so fast that her skull collided with Skarmory's beak in a dull metallic thud. The speed and impact from Latias' surprise was enough to send the Armor Bird Pokémon stumbling back.

(Bah! young lady, 'a' 'un actually 'urt!) exclaimed Winston as he tried to shake away the mired of star exploding behind his eyes.

"_Nggh…Owww_…" mewed Latias, tenderly hugging her sore spot at the top of her head. Already there was a throbbing bump forming at the point of impact.

"Oooh… That's quite an impress Skull Bash attempt," came the sarcastic voice of Tudor from nearby, "Although, may I suggest a much softer target next time for a beginner like you?"

"Hey! That is not funny!" interjected Ash, who seemed to have woken up for quite some time before Latias.

"_Ash_!" said Latias, perking up at the sound of her lover's voice, "_You're okay_!"

"And quite an accomplishment at that," commented Tudor, "Came back practically frozen to death, and yet after one night's rest and some food, he recovers like nothing had happened before. I am pretty surprised to be honest; even Pokémon with Recover can't heal that fast."

True enough, when Latias rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she saw her beloved Ash sitting next to her smiling; strong, healthy and sound; there was not a single trace of mishaps that had happened to the young trainer on the previous day. In fact, Ash seemed to fare even better that Winston, who still has one wing bound tightly with bandages. Latias was too, surprised by her Trainer's resilience and recovery, which seemed to surpass that of a Pokémon.

"_What's for breakfast? I am famished_." asked Latias, changing the subject.

(Breytfast? Oh, uz poor 'n delusional Trainee,) laughed Skarmory patronizingly, (Does thee av an ideeur wha' tahhm o' t' day it is?)

A quick look out the window of the cabin told Latias that it was well into mid-day. No wonder Ash was up before her!

"_It's that late already_?" gasped Latias, "_Why didn't anyone wake me_?"

This time, Ash answered her.

"Well, you were sleeping so peacefully," explained Ash sheepishly, "So I asked as a favor to let you remain like that. He owes us that much," added Ash, pointing at Skarmory, who let out a cough and looked away uncomfortably, "Besides," continued the young trainer with a teasing smile and held up a soggy pillow, "The look of you dreaming was so adorable that I couldn't bring myself to wake you!"

"Ash!" admonished Latias embarrassed, snatching away the pillow from her grinning lover. Latias felt so much heat rushed up to her face that she swore there were steams sprouting out of her ears.

"Sorry to interrupt such loveable scene," interrupted Tudor, who now seated himself at the dinner table, already busy writing away on a piece of paper. For one reason or the other the Yanma looking Pokémon Researcher was always writing something, "But I am afraid there are some orders of business to take care of."

"Yeah," replied Ash angrily, "Let's begin with your explanation of why you wanted us to be killed!"

With a defeated sigh, Tudor lowered his pen and wiped his glasses with the hem of his white lab coat."

There seems to be some misunderstanding at hand," began the Pokémon Researcher, "And I apologize for cause you bodily harm as result,"

"_Misunderstandings? Apologize_?" snorted Latias, "_Winston here had crippled Ash for no reason at all and left him to die in the blizzard_!"

(Ah admit ah av gone overboard wi' t' young lad,) said Skarmory humbly, (Bur ah 'ed it orl unda control.)

"I know it is hard to believe for the two of you," added Tudor, "But trust me, it was all part of a plan."

Tudor paused to study the young couple's response carefully. From the looks of it, none of them seemed to be fully convinced by his story. But then, who can really blame them? After all, Tudor did order his Pokémon to have Ash and Latias eliminated if they were to fail their first day of training. That plan, however, seemed to have gone in a strange direction after some inexplicable occurrence. For now, Tudor knew head to come up with some cover story and he had to come up with them fast.

"Even without being a Pokémon Moveset specialist, one should know, a Pokémon's growth potential increases exponentially if they were forced into a desperate situation," said Tudor, "Winston and I were simply trying to create such situation as best as we could. And look at the result! An Ice Beam! The result far exceeded what I dared to hope for!"

Ash turned to look at his Eon Pokémon expectantly, for he knew better than anyone else in the world that his Latias did not know how to use such high level ice attack beforehand. If what the Moveset specialist had said was indeed true, then Latias must had learned Ice Beam all by herself to save him! Ash felt his chest swell with pride and his adoration for Latias grow deeper as he realized how amazing of a Pokémon his lover was.

"You know, that was very amazing, Jewel," agreed Ash, "How did you managed to come up with such powerful attack like that?"

"_Actually, I_-" began Latias, but stopped short, "I am not too sure, it just happened I guess…" Latias wanted to tell Ash privately about the mysterious voices that helped her saved their lives, but she suddenly remembered how Tudor can mysteriously overhear telepathy. Judging by how intensively the Moveset specialist was staring at her, Latias decided to stay silent for the time being.

"So anyway," said Tudor, after a brief lull of silence in the cabin, "Now that you two have passed the first test with flying colors, it's time for the second stage of your training."

"Second stage?!"

"_Second stage_?!" gasped the young couple in unison. The news came at such surprise that even Winston the Skarmory threw a slight scowl at his owner.

"That's right," chuckled Tudor, ignoring the various reactions around the room, "You didn't think your training was as easy as just defeating Winston, did you?"

Neither Ash nor Latias thought beating Tudor's Skarmory was anything but easy, but both of them held their tongue.

"So what is the second stage?" asked Ash

Instead of answering directly, Tudor reached into the pocket of his lab coat and took out three miniaturized Pokeballs, which in turn drew even more startled reaction from Skarmory.

"To be honest with you I've never expected things to turn out like this," admitted Tudor as an introduction to his explanation," But now that we are here, I am going to be completely honest with you. Winton and I are not the only ones conducting researches at Mount Silver."

"_Are you referring to them_?" asked Latias, indicating the Pokeballs

Tudor nodded and picked up one of them.

"I have determined that the best way for you to improve Latias, is to battle against overwhelming odds. Now sine you have already defeated my Skarmory," here, the Moveset Specialist paused to pocket the Pokeball he had picked up, "This means you have to defeat two more of my Pokémon before I consider your training as complete.'

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Ash enthusiastically, "Let's get to it right now!"

(Not sa fast,) chimed in Skarmory, (t' bottles theur see are currently empty, sa theur are art o' jouce.)

While Ash looked crestfallen, Latias was secretly glad, for she was not looking forward to face any of Tudor's Pokémon again, whatever they are.

"Quite so," agreed Tudor, "Like Winston here, they are also my research assistants. Currently I have sent both of them to different parts of the mountain to gather data so you will have to seek them out in order to continue your training."

"Let's just say the search is also part of your training," said Tudor with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "Don't worry, I shall provide you with my Pokémon's locations, so finding them shouldn't be too hard."

"Alright, alright!" said Ash impatiently, "Whatever it is, I just want to get it over with!"

"Sure," smiled Tudor in a way that made Latias think she and Ash had fallen into a trap, "Now, it will take some time to make the necessary arrangements, so why don't the two of you go outside and enjoy some time for yourselves? You will be notified when everything is ready."

Seeing the reason in Tudor's words, Ash agreed silently; and besides, it felt like ages since the trainer had any personal time with Pokémon, so he took Latias' hand and led her out of the cabin.

(**J'espère que vous savez ****ce que vous faites****, Gilbert**,) said Skarmory shortly after Ash had closed the door behind him. (**Parce que vous ****aviez ****exposé ****chaque membre de ****notre ****operation. Eternara ne sera pas contente de ceci.**)

"**Ton travail n'est pas de remettre en cause mes décisions, mais de les obéir, lieutenant,**" reminded the Moveset Specialist sternly, "**Je peux tu assurer, notre opération ne sera pas mise en péril, pour j'ai pris toutes les mesures nécessaires**"

(**Que voyez-vous dans ce garçon qui vous met dans telle bonne humeur ?**) asked Skarmory as he closely watched his owner settled down by the table.

"**Il y a ****quelque chose de spécial ****à propos de Ash et son Pokémon**," said Tudor as he began to scribble out two quick notes on Mail papers, "**Si nous l'utilisons soigneusement, il sera utile dans aider nous avec exécutant nos projets**."

(Wha' is sa special abaht 'im exactly?) pressed Skarmory, as he caught sight of Ash peering through the cabin window.

"Don't act foolish now, Winston," chided Tudor, effortlessly switching back to Universal while he made some shooing motion towards the window, "You and I both know that was a Category Articuno blizzard. There is no way anyone could have walked away from that alive; especially not with the injuries you had inflicted on those two."

(Sa wha' does thee plan ta doa naw?)

Tudor paused his writing to consider his answer and options carefully. If he was right with his suspicion about Ash, the young trainer would either turn out to be his most valuable pawn… or his worst enemy.

"I am going to see if I can find out more about Ash and Latias through 'training processes. If I can't, I am going to make sure he is powerful enough to occupy the full attention of Indigo League, that way our plan can be carried out without any annoyances."

(Eur theur sure thy plan is goan fettle?) asked Skarmory with doubt-filled tone.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try, does it," shrugged Tudor who had just finished writing his instruction to his other Pokémon and sealed the Mail papers separately. Skarmory wordlessly took the paper in his beak when Tudor handed them over. "Now I want you to look for an opportunity to deliver these instructions to the others unnoticed. I don't want Ash and Latias to suspect anything."

As Skarmory nodded in acknowledgement, Tudor withdrew his Armor Bird Pokémon into its ball. Looking around to make sure he had missed nothing, the Moveset Specialist picked up his Super Rod and walked out of his cabin, leaving behind his Skarmory in its Pokeball.

At the sound of Tudor leaving his cabin, Ash and Latias looked over expectantly to see if their instructor was ready for them. To their disappointment, and doubly for Ash, the Moveset Specialist simply shrugged and smiled in a nonchalant way.

"Sorry Ash, it seems like this is going to take more time than I've expected," said Tudor, adjusting his Yanma like glasses slightly, "Why don't the two of you accompany me on a relaxing fishing trip by the river? It will help us pass some time."

"But I don't want to fish," whined Ash, "I want to start my training now!"

"Well, right now there is nothing we can do," said Tudor, walking towards the forest, "If you don't like fishing, you and Latias can bury each other in river mud or something… whatever you kids do for pastime these days… Anyway, regardless if you are coming or not I am going to the river."

Ash and Latias watched silently as the Moveset Specialist disappeared into the forest with his Super Rod. Late midday sun beat mercilessly down on the young couple as they stood in front of the log cabin pondering their next move. It was hard to believe that just on the previous day Ash and Latias nearly froze to death while they stood sizzling under the sun a day later.

"Well, it's too hot here," said Ash breaking the silence, "I am going to the river, at least we can stay cool there."

"_But how would we know when Tudor's other Pokémon will be ready to train us if we leave this place?_"

"Bah!" answered Ash with a wave of his hand to show his lack of concern on the issue.

Latias followed her lover into the forest and hummed softly in appreciation to the respite the shade of the forest was providing against the summer heat. For a while, Ash and Latias trekked in silence, enjoying the ambient forest sounds under the viridian canopy. Passing familiar terrain from their previous trek up the mountain, Ash could not help but reminisce fondly about the time just before he and Latias discovered Tudor's cabin.

"Remember the reason why we went up this path for the first time, Jewel?" asked Ash fondly, "We were going to start a whole new life for ourselves."

"_Yes, I remember,_" said Latias looking around her surrounding, "_It seemed like forever since that day._"

"Yes…" replied Ash, suddenly choked with emotion, "I can't believe there were so many things that happened since then… and how fast it all happened."

"_Perhaps it was for the best, my love,"_ said Latias as she sidled closer to her human lover and nibbled playfully at his ear. In return of her intimate gesture, Ash tickled a spot beneath Latias' wing joint, a spot he found that would make Latias coo in delight.

The rest of the journey went on mostly in silence with occasional casual banter about a landmark which they remembered or about a passing wild Pokémon. Pretty soon they have reached the Pecha berry tree grove where Ash and Latias first made their plans to live away from the world. The fragrant smell of ripe berries hanging from the tree reminded Latias how hungry she was. With a shout of delighted "Laaa!" the red Eon Pokémon flew up to the dangling fruits and began to munch away without a care in the world. The sound of Ash laughing below her made Latias pause and look at her lover curiously.

"Sorry, sorry!" apologized Ash with a big grin, "It's just… you looked so funny, Jewel! Fancy, a Dragon Pokémon, eating berries out of a tree like a Butterfree!"

"_Oh, you!_" pouted Latias, sending a shower of ripe Pecha berries to rain down on Ash with her Psychic in retaliation.

After Latias had eaten her fill, the young couple cooled off by splashing each other in the shallows of nearby only after they were thoroughly soaked and exhausted, they dragged their tired selves on to the bank and sprawled out to wait for the sun to dry their clothes and feathers.

"_Ash?"_ whispered Latias as she snuggled close to Ash

"Hmm?"

"_I wish moments like these come more often and will never pass…_"

"Yeah… me too… me too…" said Ash as he watched fluffy Mareep-like clouds float lazily across the sky.

Combined with the warm air, steady chuckle of the river and their fatigue, Ash could not stop his eyelids from drooping ever lower with each passing second.

"Hey, Jewel, precious?" asked Ash, somehow managing through the thick haze of drowsiness

"_Yes?"_ it seems Latias too, was slowly succumbing to the lull of sleep.

"What were you dreaming about before you woke up? You looked like you were lost in paradise or something…"

"_Oh, uh… I… well…_" stammered Latias; despite her efforts to make a passable excuse, the fog of fatigue that hung heavily over her mind made it difficult, "_I was… I was dreaming…_"

"'…about how I've learned Hydro Pump and was in the process of drowning Tudor and his despicable Skarmory in it!'" interrupted a very familiar and obnoxious voice of Tudor from somewhere above the young couple.

All thoughts of sleep were quickly driven away as Ash and Latias struggle to recover from their surprise and establish their bearings. After a few confusing seconds, they found Tudor standing over them with an amused expression on his face.

"How… how did you find us?" demand Ash as he scrambled to his feet.

"Never mind how I've found you," answered Tudor dismissively, "I came here to tell you that my Pokémon are ready for you. Are you ready to start?"

"You bet I am!" exclaimed Ash who was now more awake than he was in the morning.

"Very good. Now, I want you to fly to this location," said Tudor, handing over a folded piece of paper to Latias, "If you followed the instructions on their correctly, you should be able to reach it by night fall.'

Latias unfolded the paper and looked at it in puzzlement.

"_I… I don't know how to read…_" admitted Latias sadly, "Well, at least not on this complicated level," she added quickly in hopes to avoid total embarrassment.

"It's alright, Jewel," said Ash, giving Latias an assuring, pat on her back, "Since we are traveling together, I can easily read the instructions for you."

"Oh, no you're not," interjected Tudor, "From now on, you will be trained separately. Latias, you will receive your training from my other Pokémon, while you, Ash, will train with me."

"What?!"

"_What?!_" exclaimed the young couple indignantly

"That is how the training program is going to work," replied Tudor coolly, "If you don't agree with the terms, you can always turn around and walk away."

Latias pulled Ash aside out of Tudor's earshot and gave him her extensive list of concern regarding Tudor's proposal. Although Ash could understand Latias' concerns, the young trainer counter-argued that despite Tudor's extreme methods, she was given the chance to learn one of the most powerful Ice-type moves in the world. After a long and serious conversation, to which Tudor was tactful enough to wait patiently through it all, Ash managed to convince Latias to go along with Tudor's plan. Returning to Tudor, Ash let the Moveset Specialist know that his proposal had been accepted.

"A smart choice, Ash," said Tudor with a sly grin, "Now, Latias, if you fly in that direction you will come across the area depicted your piece of paper soon enough. Even if you can't read, you won't be able to miss it… I think…"

Latias did not answer Tudor, for she was still angry at him for separating her away from Ash. Instead, she stared longingly into her lover's eyes; transmitting all her doubt, regret and fear with her gaze. In return, she saw Ash's eyes were filled with sorrow; his eyes glazed over with tears. The young trainer tried to hold his gaze with brave determination, but after what seemed to be an eternity of excruciating moment, Ash forcefully jerked his eyes away from Latias while trying his best to hide his overflowing eyes from the red Eon Pokémon. Ash's little subterfuge did not escape Latias' notice, and her heart was torn asunder to see her beloved shed his tears. If it were under any other circumstances, Latias would had tackled Ash to the ground and sat on him until the young trainer changes his mind on sending her away. But the red Eon Pokémon knew that Ash meant well, so she decided to use her longing and desire as her fuel to succeed at the next stage of training as fast as possible so she can once more fly into the warm embrace of her beloved trainer.

"_Goodbye, Ash…" _whispered Latias tearfully, as she zoomed off without a backward glance; for she feared that if she looked back, she would not be able to move forward ever again.

"Are you alright?" asked Tudor after seeing Latias disappeared into a tiny speck in the sky.

"Y...yeah…" mumbled Ash as he quickly cuffed away his tears, "Yeah, I am good."

"Glad to hear that. Come, back to the cabin we go. We shall start your training immediately."

The hike back up the mountain was not as stifling as before as the sun had moved its scorching beam to other parts of the world. With every step Ash worried about Latias and began to doubt his decision to go along with Tudor's plan. With every step he took, the young trainer had to fight the urge to frantically run off and chase after his precious Latias like a madman and would not stop to rest until he had found her… or he is dead. Just as the pressure within his head had built up to the point which Ash wanted to scream and rage with frustration, the young man felt a hand descend heavily onto his shoulder.

"Ash, what you did back there was no easy thing by any stretch of imagination," said Tudor earnestly, "But to become a Champion is not something that can be done through dream and ambition alone. You need RESLOVE. You will need to endure much more trying times than this should you even want to come remotely close to your dream. Now comes the time to test your resolve. Will you endure and overcome or will you crumble at the starting line?"

With his question, the Moveset Specialist stepped aside to reveal that he and Ash had reached the edge of the forest where the log cabin could be seen. Ash understood the true meaning behind Tudor's words; the Yanma looking Pokémon researcher was giving him a last chance to change his decision. Once he crossed the edge of the forest, there would be no turning back. Up until now, Ash's mind was filled with doubt, but Tudor's words had given him the focus he needed to push through with his decision. Clenching his fist tightly, Ash steeled his nerves and boldly stepped passed Tudor, out of the woods and towards the log cabin. With a nod of approval, Tudor followed.

"Very well, Ash. Let the pain begin…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Once again, I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, and please do not forget to voice your opinion on the story's progression. Even a negative comment will help me much more than none!**

**Skarmory and Tudor's Hoenn dialect sequence:**

**S: **I hope you know what you are doing, Gilbert. Because you have just exposed everyone in our operation. Ever Grande City is not going to be happy about this**.**

**T: **Your job is NOT to question my decisions, but to obey them, Lieutenant. I can assure you, our operation is not going to be in jeopardy, for I have taken all necessary measures**.**

**S: **What do you see in that boy that puts you in such good mood?

**T: **There is something special about Ash and his Pokemon. If we use him carefully, he will prove to be useful at helping us carry out our plan**.**


End file.
